


Risen from the Ashes

by PixelEnchanter



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avatar Zuko (Avatar), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, the author took canon and set it on fire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:13:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 51,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27871338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixelEnchanter/pseuds/PixelEnchanter
Summary: Prince Zuko is the son of Fire Lord Sozin. His older brother Azulon is destined to be the Fire Lord. Little does he know that he himself has a destiny of his own. After all, he never put it together that he was born just after the death of Avatar Kyoshi.
Relationships: Azula & Katara (Avatar), Azula & Sokka (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Druk & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 78
Kudos: 347





	1. A New Prince

Prince Zuko was born on a festival night. Outside the windows of the palace, paper lanterns twinkled in the street as though the stars had descended to join in the festivities. Fire Lady Ruka cradled her new baby tiredly in her arms, smiling at his golden eyes staring back at her. There was a soft knock at the door, and a servant stood up to answer it, bowing out of the way a moment later to allow Fire Lord Sozin into the room.

He approached the bed quietly, kissing his wife on the cheek. “How are you, my love?”

Ruka smiled, leaning against him. “I’m fine, dear. We’re both fine. You have another son.”

Sozin looked down at the baby cradled in her arms, smiling widely as tiny fingers tried to grab his beard. “He’s a proper little spitfire, just like his mother.” He turned back to Ruka. “Do you still like the name we picked out?”

At her nod, Sozin’s smile widened. “Wonderful. Welcome to the world, Prince Zuko.” He leaned in, planting a kiss on his new son’s forehead.

Ruka watched the love of her life dote on their new son. “Where’s Azulon? He should meet his little brother.”

Sozin chuckled. “Where else would he be but the festival? Don’t worry, darling, he can meet Zuko tomorrow.”

As he spoke, however, there was a soft noise as the door slid open. A two-year-old peeked inside, golden eyes shining with curiosity. “Who Zuko?”

Ruka smiled at her other son. “He’s your new brother, Azulon. Would you like to come meet him?” At the toddler’s nod, she beckoned him forward, waiting while Sozin picked him up so he would be able to see better. Carefully she tilted the blankets so he could see the small face peeking out. He gasped softly in amazement, and her smile widened. “You’re a big brother now. It’s your job to look out for him, alright? It’s a really important job. Do you think you can do it?” 

Azulon nodded vigorously. “Yeah!”

Sozin smiled, ruffling his hair and noting the sleepy look starting to grow in his eyes. “Very good. Now, I think it’s about time for young princes to be in bed.” At Azulon’s noise of protest, Sozin chuckled softly. “Look, your brother is already in bed.” And indeed, not only was Zuko in bed, it appeared the infant was already fast asleep, cradled in his mother’s arms.

Azulon pouted, but Sozin just scooped him up, walking out of the room with the toddler carried securely in his arms. He made his way to Azulon’s room, helping his son get changed and ready for bed before tucking him in under his covers. 

The child looked up at him hopefully. “Story?”

Sozin smiled at his son, sitting down next to his bed. “And what sort of story would you like to hear tonight?”

Azulon grinned up at him. “Av’tar K’oshi!”

Sozin chuckled. “Avatar Kyoshi, eh? Alright, let’s see...How about the story of how she made an entire island all by herself?” Azulon nodded eagerly, settling down to listen. Sozin smiled, stroking his beard and beginning.

When the story ended, Azulon was fighting sleep. “Av’tar K’oshi strong.” 

Sozin noded. “That she is. She’s 230 and still a very capable and strong Avatar. The world is lucky to have her.”

*********

News of Avatar Kyoshi’s death arrived at the palace two weeks later, brought in by a pair of Air Nomad monks on their way to visit the Western Air Temple. The master as his pupil were shown through the palace and brought into the throne room of the Fire Lord. The flames that flickered in front of the throne illuminated the room, bathing it in a warm, comforting light. The height was low enough to show the serious yet not unkind face of the Fire Lord.

The older monk bowed politely to the throne, the shallow bow showing deference to a ruler who was not his own. His beard, starting to show streaks of gray through it but still retaining some color, twitched in amusement at his student’s clumsy attempts to mimic him. The boy was fourteen and had just hit a growth spurt, making his body seem gangly and out of proportion with itself.

Sozin gestured from his seat on the other side of the flames. “Rise, and tell me who you are and what news you bring. I was told it was urgent.”

The older monk nodded. “I am Monk Gyatso of the Southern Air Temple. This is my student, Laasheng. We bring two pieces of grave news to you, Fire Lord. The first is of import to your people. There is a great storm brewing off of your eastern coast. It will arrive in two days, if the winds remain as they are.”

Sozin nodded, motioning to a servant. “Fetch the maps so that Monk Gyatso can show us where the storm will hit. Alert the Home Guard to make preparations for aid.” The servant nodded, hurrying off, and Sozin turned his attention back to the airbenders. “That was the first piece of news. You said there were two.”

The monk nodded, his eyes growing somber. “News has reached the Southern Air Temple that Avatar Kyoshi has died.” 

Sozin stiffened. “Are you certain?”

Gyatso nodded again. “Her daughter, Koko, informed one of our monks as he stopped by Kyoshi Island.”

Sozin frowned. “How did she die?”

“Unfortunately, we were not told the circumstances of the Avatar’s death. There are many rumors surrounding it, but none have been confirmed.”

Sozin nodded, looking deep in thought. “The Fire Sages will need to be informed. Arrangements will have to be made for children to be tested when the time is right to try and discover the next Avatar.” He shook himself, seeming to shake off some worry before turning back to the airbenders in front of him. “Thank you for bringing this information to us. If you would be willing, this servant here can take you to my advisors so you can inform them the location and size of the storm.” Gyatso nodded, bowing again and following the servant that led him and his student out of the room.

Sozin waited until they left before getting up and stepping out of the door behind the curtain of flames. He walked through into the private passageway that led to the royal family’s quarters. Servants bowed to him as he passed, but he paid them no mind. He made directly for where he knew his wife would be, in the nursery taking care of Zuko.

Ruka looked up when she heard the door open, her smile at seeing him fading to a look of concern as she noticed the look on his face. “What’s happened?”

Sozin sighed, sitting down next to her. “An Air Nomad and his student brought news to the palace today. There’s a storm coming for the eastern coast. It should arrive in a couple of days.”

Ruka nodded. “It’s unfortunate, but not unexpected. The Home Guard prepares for these things, and with the warning most should be able to get out of the way or seek shelter in time.” She kissed his cheek. “So tell me what’s really bothering you.”

Sozin put an arm around her. “You know me too well.” He was quiet for a long moment before he finally spoke. “Avatar Kyoshi is dead.”

Ruka stiffened, looking up at him. “How? When?”

“The monk didn’t know how she died, but it had to have been fairly recently, or else the news would have arrived before now. My guess is sometime within the last month.”

His wife processed that for a long moment before her eyes were seemingly dragged down to the infant held in her arms. Sozin noticed, holding her closer to him. “The Avatar has never been born to the royal family of any nation.”

Ruka looked up at him, worry evident in her eyes. “There’s a first time for everything, Sozin.”

*********

The Fire Sages came to test Zuko when he was two years old. The two old men bowed low to the Fire Lord and began laying out cloths in neat rows, evenly spacing hundreds of toys on them. Zuko stared at them with wide, curious eyes as he stood, holding his mother’s hand. Finally the sages finished, bowing low again. “If you would, your majesty, please allow the prince a chance to make a selection. He may choose four.”

Ruka knelt down, quietly explaining to Zuko that he should go bring back four toys he liked to her, and that he could pick any four he wanted. The two-year-old nodded, making his way curiously forward under the watchful gaze of his parents and the Fire Sages. He considered carefully, a serious look that might have otherwise been funny adorning his face, had it not been for the situation and his mother’s hidden worries over the outcome.

Tiny fingers closed around the first selection, a clay turtle duck. Proudly the toddler brought it back to his mother before going to find another. Next he chose a wooden hog monkey, before finally grabbing a wooden hand drum and a pull-string propeller. Once the final toy was brought to her, Ruka stood up, holding out the toys to the Fire Sages. They bowed to her, carefully taking the selections back and making note of them.

As the Fire Sages packed away the toys, Ruka led her son back to his room to play. She found herself hoping once more that the test would mean nothing for her son. The Avatar was expected to travel the world, first to learn the elements and then to keep the balance of the nations and spirits. She sighed. Perhaps it was selfish of her, but she didn’t want to lose her son when he turned sixteen.

Unbeknownst to her, the two Fire Sages discussed matters surrounding the royal family in hushed tones and behind closed doors for their entire journey back to their temple. Never before had an Avatar ever been born to royalty. Nobles, yes, but never royalty. The sages felt relief that it was at least the second prince, and not the crown prince. Had that occurred, there was the potential for a problem in the line of succession. Even now there was definitely a risk.

However, in their eyes, the truth was undeniable. Not only had Prince Zuko been born at exactly the right time, but he had chosen the four toys, relics of previous Avatars. He had even been especially drawn to the clay turtle duck toy that Avatar Kyoshi herself had chosen, broken, and replaced. There was no doubt. Prince Zuko was the new Avatar.


	2. Twin Dragons

Zuko was six and still had yet to firebend. The young prince had grown up a cheerful, determined child, always following his older brother around and watching his firebending lessons whenever he could. Those who looked closely as the older boy worked to produce flame after flame would see a spark of longing in his younger brother’s eyes. 

Azulon had bent at four. As that time arrived and then passed for Zuko, the young boy started to feel himself getting nervous. He wanted to be a firebender, just like his parents and big brother! Fire was so nice, a comforting presence to him. It was light on a dark night, warmth from any of the rare times when a cold breeze blew across the islands. Fire was life, and Zuko wanted to live with it.

Zuko’s eyes cracked open as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. He always got up at dawn and he loved it. It felt like Agni himself was telling Zuko good morning. It didn’t hurt the young prince’s enthusiasm that it was a trait he shared with firebenders. Quite the contrary, in fact. He clung to that fact as a hope that he would one day be able to firebend too.

Part of the royal family had taken a trip, staying in their mountain home nestled in the forest at the base of Mount Zodotasu. Fire Lady Ruka’s brother was lord of the domain, and his wife had recently given birth to a daughter, their very first child. And so Ruka had taken Zuko with her on a trip to meet the newest member of the family and bring their congratulations to her parents. Secretly, the Fire Lady had another reason for bringing her youngest on the trip as well. She had noticed how downcast he seemed lately when he thought that no one was looking, longing glances tossed towards any signs of firebending. She hoped that the trip would distract Zuko and take his mind off of worrying about his apparent lack of bending.

All of this was unknown to Zuko, however. The child was just glad to go on what he viewed as a grand adventure. He slipped out of bed, pulling on clothes and creeping quietly out of his room. Avoiding the palace servants was like a game to him at this point. He loved to see how far he could go through the halls and grounds before finally being caught.

The sound of approaching footsteps around the corner made Zuko grin. Time for a test. Anyone else in his situation might have looked at the empty hallway, with its lack of doors to dart through, and given up, seeing no place to flee or hide. But Zuko was different. In a flash he grabbed onto the decorative wooden supports in the wall, clambering up one silently, as easily as another child might climb a tree. He perched on top, hidden by the shadows in the roofline. His grin widened as the servant passed by underneath him and he went completely unnoticed. That was the problem that most people had. They never thought to look up.

Zuko made it all the way out of the building without being seen. There were times he had to duck behind pillars or take to the ceiling again, but never once was he spotted. He took a deep breath in, enjoying the fresh air. Mount Zodotasu climbed high into the sky a little ways away, the sun slowly rising higher than its peak.

As Zuko watched this, his eyes fell on the wall surrounding the home, guards patrolling it, and an idea formed in his mind. He grinned softly. What better way to test his sneaking than against the guards who were trained to spot and prevent intruders? Quietly, he approached, eyeing a tree that grew in the garden and hung over towards the top of the wall. That would be a good place to start. Then he wouldn’t need to take the stairs up, where there was no cover.

Climbing the tree was almost laughably easy, compared to the pillars he had scaled inside. He waited, watching for an opening in the guard patrol as he considered how to get over to the other side of the wall without having to jump off of it. It was too far of a fall to make without being injured. Then his eyes fell on the small slits halfway up the wall, designed for firebenders and archers to fire out of at oncoming enemies. Zuko’s grin returned. There was a small lip he could grab onto. It wouldn’t help an intruder trying to climb up, but it would certainly help him trying to get down.

There! Finally there was a small gap in the guard patrols as the one approaching the area had his attention called away by a commander. Zuko quickly dropped out of the tree onto the top of the wall, swinging his body over and sliding down until his foot hooked on the tiny ledge he had seen. He carefully worked his way down until he was hanging by his fingertips off of it. Close enough to the ground now that falling wouldn’t hurt, he let go and dropped the rest of the way down before running into the woods and hiding in a bush as he fought hard to contain his giggles. This was the best he’d ever done at his game of sneaking!

Zuko crept away into the woods quietly. He would explore for just a bit, he decided, before going home and knocking on the gate to be let back in. Once he was out of sight of the wall, he moved a bit more freely, grinning as he wandered happily through the woods. The sun rose higher above the horizon, letting warm light dapple through the leaves and illuminate his path. 

Just a few minutes later, a faint sound caught his attention. He tilted his head curiously. It sounded like some kind of animal, and it was close and in pain. Zuko frowned, moving more cautiously now as he approached the noise. He found himself coming across a small clearing in the trees, where a small red shape seemed to have gotten caught in a hunter’s trap. Zuko’s frown deepened. Even as young as he was, he knew that nobody was allowed to hunt this close to the royal family’s mountain home. 

As he got closer, however, his eyes widened. He took in red scales and the white ridge that ran down the long neck and body. One untrapped wing flapped uselessly, trying to free itself, as Zuko realized he was looking at a baby dragon.

Zuko took another step forward and froze as the dragon’s attention snapped to him. He expected it to bare its teeth and snarl, maybe even breathe fire at him, but the dragon didn’t do anything. It just stopped its struggling, its head tilting to one side as it looked back at him with warm golden eyes. Zuko took another cautious step forward, finally kneeling down next to the trapped dragon. “You’re stuck, huh?” He noticed the small cuts along its wing from where the trap had closed around it and frowned. “And you’re hurt. Let’s see if we can get you out.”

He got to work, carefully undoing knots and trying to free the small dragon without hurting it further. Just as he finished, he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. He spun around as the dragon let out a small growl, and an absolutely filthy man holding a knife stepped into the clearing. He leered at Zuko, and the boy saw that he was missing several teeth.

The man stepped forward, brandishing his knife. “Get lost, squirt, if you know what’s good for you.” Zuko stiffened, not moving from his spot between the stranger and the dragon. This seemed to anger the man more. “That’s my breakfast! Find yer own!”

He darted forward, taking a swipe at the dragon that had barely peeked out from behind the boy. Zuko’s eyes widened, and his shout echoed through the trees. “No!” As he yelled, a puff of fire sprung from his mouth, singeing the attacker and sending him stumbling backwards with a curse of surprise.

Zuko froze, staring in shock. Had he just...breathed fire? He was so distracted by this that he almost missed the man lunging at him again. He noticed the knife just in time to flinch, raising his arms instinctively in an attempt to shield himself. 

Zuko screamed as he felt something hit his arm and suddenly made it hurt _a lot_. He didn’t register the feeling of small claws latching onto his shirt before leaping off of him, a snarl rocketing past his ear towards his attacker. He sat down hard, tears running down his face as he held his hurt arm close. It felt wet, and it was making his clothes feel wet too. He was so preoccupied with his arm that he didn’t notice the sounds of his attacker falling to the ground and groaning in pain, nor the footsteps approaching quickly through the trees.

The royal guards weren’t entirely sure what to expect when they went to investigate the scream in the woods. All they knew was that it had sounded very young, and far too close for comfort. The group sent out to clear the area certainly was not expecting to see the prince sitting in a clearing, holding his bleeding arm and crying his eyes out. Seconds later they noticed the filthy man laying on the ground several feet away, groaning softly. As they took in what looked like scratches and bite marks and one part that looked suspiciously like a burn, a red blur shot away from him, directly for the young prince.

One of the guards rushed forward, trying to protect him, but he was too slow to stop the small creature from rocketing past him and clambering its way up Zuko’s sleeve. The guards all froze in alarm, not wanting to spook the dragon currently perched on the boy’s shoulder into lashing out and hurting him. Then, to their utter amazement, the dragon draped its entire body around his neck and shoulders, reaching up with its long neck to nuzzle Zuko’s cheek comfortingly.

Zuko’s crying started to die down into tearful hiccups, and the guard closest to him took a chance, cautiously approaching and keeping his voice low and calm. “Prince Zuko?” Zuko looked up, still sniffling. The dragon didn’t seem to react at all, still just nuzzling him. “Did that dragon there hurt your arm?”

Zuko shook his head, a bit more vigorously than made the guards entirely comfortable with a small fire-breathing predator perched on his shoulders. “I was trying to help it when that man showed up. He had a knife.” 

The guards all stiffened as one and soon the man was searched for other weapons and restrained. The lead guard gave Zuko a gentle smile, hiding the fury he felt that someone had attacked his prince. “How about we take you home and get that arm looked at, alright?”

Zuko nodded shakily, once more making the guards nervous as he got unsteadily to his feet and jostled the dragon on his shoulders. The dragon itself didn’t seem to mind at all, however, simply adjusting itself to keep its balance as the guard steadied Zuko, quickly bringing him back within the safety of the walls.

*********

To say that Ruka was having a stressful morning was an understatement. She had begun it by being informed once again that the servants were struggling to locate her son. This, in and of itself, was not necessarily completely out of the ordinary. Her youngest had developed quite the habit of sneaking out of his room at the crack of dawn and making a game out of hiding from whatever servant was tasked with finding him.

However, what was worrying to Ruka was that Zuko had always in the past come when she had called for him. The moment he heard her say his name, he would pop out of whatever hidey-hole he had chosen that day and come racing up to her with a wide, happy grin on his face.

This was not the case this morning.

No matter where in the house or on the grounds she went, calling his name, Zuko never appeared. The longer it went on, the larger the knot of worry in her stomach grew. It wasn’t like him at all to ignore her like that. She was certain something was wrong.

When the guard commander approached her and bowed low, she found that she was proven right. “Your majesty, we have located Prince Zuko. The healer is looking over him now.”

She stiffened in horror. “The healer?! Is he hurt? What happened?”

The guard shifted. “He has a cut on his arm, but is otherwise uninjured. While we don’t know the precise details yet, he informed us that a man with a knife had attacked him.” At her horrified noise, the guard rushed to continue. “As I said, the prince only has a cut on his arm, which the healer said was relatively shallow and shouldn’t cause any problems.”

Ruka frowned. Something definitely wasn’t adding up here. “Are you telling me that a strange man with a knife snuck over the wall, past all of our guards, and attacked my son?” Outrage grew in her voice.

The commander had an uncomfortable look flash across his face. “No, your majesty. He encountered the prince in the forest outside.”

Ruka stared at him. “What was Zuko doing outside of the walls?”

The guard looked even more uncomfortable, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Ah...we’re...not exactly sure, your majesty. Our best guess is that he managed to sneak out.” He watched as the Fire Lady’s face paled as she processed what he had said. The guard himself had been trying to wrestle with the reality of the situation ever since they had found Prince Zuko. The fact remained that even as airtight as their security had seemed, a six-year-old prince had managed to sneak up to the wall, scale it, and handle the three-story drop to the other side without apparent injury, all while remaining perfectly undetected by the guards patrolling the grounds and wall.

Ruka’s jaw tightened. “Where is my son now? Take me to him.”

The commander winced, starting to lead the way before clearing his throat. “Ah, something else you may want to be aware of, your majesty…” He gulped at the look on her face before continuing. “It seems your son has managed to find a dragon.”

That stopped her dead in her tracks as she stared at the man. “He _what_?!”

The guard rushed through his explanation, as if hoping that might make it better. “There was a dragon with him when we found him, your majesty. Just a small one, probably newly hatched. It seems to enjoy laying on his shoulders. It hasn’t gotten off of him once since it got up there.”

The Fire Lady looked outraged. “You’ve left a _fire-breathing predator_ with my son who _can’t bend_?!”

He cringed at the fury in her voice. “It hasn’t acted hostile to him in any way! There’s a guard watching over them at all times. And from what we can tell, we’re fairly certain that dragon saved his life.” 

Ruka grew very still indeed at that. “Explain. _Now_.”

He took a deep breath before continuing. “As I said, we found out that a man with a knife had attacked your son and managed to cut his arm. But by the time we arrived, that man was already on the ground. He had sustained several cuts, a burn on his arm, and a fair number of bites that seem to match the dragon’s teeth.”

She processed that for several minutes before finally taking a steadying breath and continuing the last few turns to their destination. As she arrived at the door, she looked back at the commander, her jaw tight. “We will continue this conversation later. At length.” Then she opened the door and stepped inside as the man felt dread settle into his stomach.

Ruka was greeted on the other side with the sight of another guard standing near her son, eyes fixed on the small red dragon draped around his shoulders as a healer finished applying the last of the bandages to his arm. Zuko looked up when he heard the door, and she saw the remnants of tear tracks on his face. In an instant, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, enveloping him in a hug. The guard shifted slightly in alarm, but the dragon just let out a small noise of satisfaction and laid still.

Zuko burrowed into his mother’s arms, hiding his face in her clothes. “He was really scary, Mom.”

Ruka rubbed his back comfortingly. “I know, sweetheart. But you’re safe now. That’s what matters.” Zuko nodded minutely as his mother continued to hold him. “It was very lucky that you found this little dragon to protect you.”

Zuko sniffled. “He was stuck in a trap and I was trying to get him out when that man showed up. Then everything was moving really fast and he had a knife and then there was fire and there was a lot of yelling.”

His mother nodded, holding him close. “I bet it was scary, seeing that dragon breathe fire and keep that man away from you.”

Zuko shifted then, finally raising his face up to look at his mother. “The dragon didn’t breathe fire.”

Ruka frowned, tilting her head. Had the man been a firebender and burned himself? “He didn’t? Are you sure?”

Zuko nodded. “I did.”

Ruka’s eyes widened. “You firebent?”

That made Zuko pause for some reason. He looked confused. “Maybe?”

His confusion didn’t seem to make much sense to Ruka. Surely he would know if he had firebent. That was what he had just said, wasn’t it? She took a steadying breath, stepping back to give him room. “Could you show me?”

Zuko nodded, a look of concentration on his face. “I think so.” He took a deep breath, like he had seen every firebender do all his life. But Ruka felt her confusion grow as his hands didn’t move up to strike or even hold fire. How was he going to…?

Then the prince exhaled, and fire puffed out of his mouth.

Ruka stared. Her son had just breathed fire. He had not only firebent on instinct, but he had done it _with his mouth_. The guard and the healer in the room were similarly stunned at this development. 

Zuko looked shyly up at his mother, giving her a hopeful look. “Does this mean I can firebend?”

The sheer absurdity of the situation forced a laugh out of her as she hugged her son again. “Yes, sweetheart, it means you can firebend.”

As she held Zuko close, Ruka heard the guard behind her mutter, “And here I was thinking we’d only found one dragon out in those woods today.”


	3. Hopeless

It became a common sight to see Prince Zuko with a dragon at his side. Said dragon, who the prince had named Druk, stayed with Zuko like a red shadow, ghosting his every step. Servants, who were uneasy when the dragon had first arrived, grew outright alarmed as in the span of just a few months he grew from the size of a turtle duck to larger than a hog monkey. Many found themselves wondering what would happen when he grew too big to fit through the halls of the palace. 

Zuko was grateful for Druk’s presence. The dragon had a knack for making him feel better after yet another firebending lesson ended in failure. Time and time again, Master Juzu would try to show him the punches and kicks to firebend. Zuko would mimic them exactly, practicing so many times that his form was perfect. 

Not once did one of his strikes produce even a spark.

He could hear the frustration hidden in his tutor’s voice that the man tried and failed to hide as his failures mounted. “Fire comes from the breath. Use it to fuel your chi and produce a force.” He punched the air to punctuate his last word, flames spouting easily in demonstration.

Zuko tried his best to imitate his teacher, punching out in exactly the same way. Master Juzu’s lips thinned as the boy performed precisely the perfect form, and yet no flame was produced. He huffed, muttering under his breath. “Hopeless.” Unfortunately for him, the master’s voice wasn’t exactly as quiet as he believed.

Hurt welled up in Zuko’s eyes. “What do you mean, ‘hopeless’?”

Master Juzu waved a hand. “You have been training for months and still have yet to produce a spark. I might as well be trying to train a waterbender in firebending.” Neither of them seemed to notice the servant listening in before stiffening and hurrying away.

Zuko looked up at his supposed teacher. “But...but I breathed fire.”

He sniffed derisively. “You did it with a dragon on your shoulders. Obviously it breathed fire and you took the credit.”

Zuko’s face crumpled and he ran out of the courtyard, fighting tears. Druk ran out after him, ghosting his every step. Master Juzu scoffed, turning to leave before freezing as Fire Lord Sozin swept into the courtyard from the other side, a look of cold fury on his face. 

“Juzu.”

The teacher bowed low, his face smoothed of its previous disdain. “Your majesty, how may I be of service?”

Sozin’s voice was dangerously calm. “Tell me how your lessons with my son have been going.”

Juzu nodded. “Of course, your majesty. Prince Azulon is progressing quite nicely. He has started moving into intermediate forms, and his work ethic is commendable.”

Sozin held up a hand in front of him to stop him. “Stop. Tell me about your lessons with my _other_ son.”

The man shifted slightly at that. “Prince Zuko is...struggling. I have yet to see him produce more than a single spark. While I would never dream of questioning a member of the royal family, I find myself wondering if it could have perhaps been a mistake, that the dragon’s fire breath was attributed to the prince by mistake. After all, no one has ever produced fire from their mouth before. Had I been asked about the concept before coming here, I would have claimed it impossible.”

Sozin’s jaw tightened. “Are you telling me,” he began, his tone dangerous, “that not only are you calling my son a liar, but my wife and guards as well?”

Juzu paled, suddenly realizing exactly the situation he had put himself in. “Your majesty, I would never dream-”

A slash of Sozin’s hand cut him off in an instant. “Enough. You are dismissed. Leave the palace at once and seek employment elsewhere. You are no longer welcome here.”

“B-but, your majesty, Prince Azulon still needs a teacher!”

Sozin growled, advancing on the man. “Let me make it clearer for you. I’ll even use small words to make sure you understand. If you do not leave the palace at once, then I will personally challenge you to an Agni Kai. And I will show no mercy.”

*********

Azulon certainly hadn’t been expecting to see his brother sprint past him with tears running down his face. Zuko rushed past him, not even seeming to register he was there. Druk, as always, loped along behind him, keeping pace with the boy. They turned a corner, the white tuft at the tip of the dragon’s tail whipping around it and out of sight.

Azulon frowned in concern, hurrying after the pair. Something had upset his brother, and he was going to find out what. He found them in the garden near the turtle duck pond. Zuko was laying on his side, hugging Druk to his chest with his face hidden in the dragon’s side. He glanced over for just a moment as Azulon sat down next to him. “Hey, Azulon.”

Azulon looked over him carefully. He didn’t look hurt. “How come you look so sad?”

Zuko gave a half-hearted shrug. “I don’t think I’m gonna be learning from Master Juzu anymore.”

Azulon frowned. “Why not?” The firebending teacher had seemed fine during his own lesson.

“He said I’m hopeless.”

Azulon stared at him. “You can _breathe fire_. Some of the servants have even started calling you the Dragon Prince. How is that hopeless?”

Zuko looked over at him. “How does that help if I can’t firebend?”

Azulon looked frankly dumbfounded at that. “Did you miss the part where you _breathed fire_?!”

Zuko shrugged. “He said that Druk did it and I was lying.”

“So do it right now.”

That got Zuko’s attention. “What?”

Azulon gestured. “Breathe fire now. You can even stand away from Druk so you can prove it wasn’t him.”

Zuko hesitated. “What if I can’t?”

To his amazement, Azulon just shrugged. “Then you find some other way of fighting instead. There’s lots of people who can’t bend, you know.”

His brother looked up at him with worry evident in his face. “Is that allowed, though? Everyone is a bender in our family.”

It was then that Druk seemingly had had enough. The dragon wormed his way out of Zuko’s grip and stood up, walking a little away from the boys before breathing softly, a multicolor stream of fire arching into the air. The brothers both stared in amazement until the dragon closed its mouth, looking expectantly at Zuko. It took a nudge from Azulon to get him actually moving, but he finally stood up, taking a deep breath and trying to imitate Druk. 

While the stream of fire he produced was nowhere near as impressive as that of the dragon, it was far more than just the puffs of flame Zuko had previously managed. Azulon grinned. “See? Told you that you were a firebender.”

Zuko hesitated, looking back at him. “But what if that’s not good enough? What if I can’t do it properly like you?”

He huffed. “Then you can learn swords or something! That’s what I said earlier, isn’t it?”

Zuko thought about that for a minute before a small smile appeared on his face. “I guess so. Thanks, Azulon.”

Azulon smiled, eyeing Druk’s claws. The dark gray looked as sharp as any sword, the slight curve reminding him of the paired swords he’d seen some of the guards carry. As his brother ran off, Azulon dusted himself off, feeling satisfied. _Dragon Prince indeed_.

*********

Sozin let out a frustrated noise as he strode into his room and slumped into a nearby chair. He was strongly resisting the urge to hunt down that idiot who called himself a firebending teacher and challenge him to an Agni Kai anyway, even if the coward hadn’t run off like a scared raven wolf puppy with its tail between its legs.

He took a steadying breath, trying to calm himself down. The fury he had felt as the man looked him in the face and called his wife and son liars was slowly abating. He suspected he would have to find Zuko soon and try to comfort him. If Juzu had been that forthright with him, Sozin could only imagine the types of things he might have said to Zuko.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on his door. He was about to call for whatever servant was on the other side to leave him alone until Zuko’s head poked around the door. “Uh...Dad? Can I talk to you?”

Sozin stopped, taking in the dried tear tracks on his son’s face. He fought down another wave of anger and nodded, his face gentle as he opened his arms. “Of course, kiddo. But could we start with a hug? I’ve had a rather rough day.”

Well, if his dad was having a rough day, who was Zuko to refuse? The boy stepped forward, folding into Sozin’s arms easily and not wanting to admit how much better it made him feel too. Sozin rubbed his back, humming softly. “Tell me what’s on your mind, Zuko.”

His son was quiet for a very long time before finally shifting to look up at him. “Dad, can I learn how to use swords?”

Sozin blinked in surprise at the unexpected request. “Why do you want to learn swords?”

Zuko sighed. “Because I’ve been trying to firebend for ages now and nothing’s worked. And I still wanna be able to fight like all of you can.”

His father’s face softened. “I know that Master Juzu hasn’t been helping you learn very well. I was going to get you and your brother a new teacher soon.”

Zuko shrugged. “Master Juzu said I was doing all the forms right, and they weren’t working. Can’t I just practice those on my own and learn how to use swords from a teacher?”

Sozin sighed softly. How could he say no to those wide, pleading eyes. “Alright, Zuko. We’ll give it a try.”


	4. Flame and Steel

Zuko bounced his leg nervously. It had been almost a month since Master Juzu had been dismissed, and his father had finally found him a swords teacher. His very first lesson was today, and although he was excited, he was also worried. What would happen if this teacher decided he was just as hopeless as Master Juzu had? What if Master Juzu had actually been right all along?

As if sensing his distress, Druk let out a small grunt, walking forward and putting his large head in Zuko’s lap, causing his leg to still. Zuko looked down at the dragon with a smile. “Thanks, Druk.” He took a deep breath before finally standing up. “Well, I guess it’s time.”

The prince made his way out of his room, not bothering with his sneaking game. Druk following him sort of ruined it anyway. The servants knew that the dragon never left his side, so seeing him meant that Zuko was nearby. Said servants bowed to him as he passed, with murmured greetings of “Prince Zuko” or sometimes even “Dragon Prince”. Zuko smiled at each of them, but his mind was focused on his upcoming lesson. 

As he arrived in the courtyard where his lessons were held, Zuko saw a woman cleaning a pair of swords. Assuming this must be his new teacher, Zuko approached her and bowed, showing the respect of a student to their teacher. The woman raised an eyebrow. “Why are you bowing to me?”

Zuko looked up at her, a little surprised. “Aren’t you my new swords teacher?”

The woman blinked, raising an eyebrow. “What, no demands to know why your new teacher is a girl?”

Zuko felt genuinely confused now. “Why would I care if you’re a girl?”

She looked at him for a very long time before smiling. “You know, I think I’m gonna like it here in the Fire Nation.” She stood up with an easy grin. “The name’s Shiva.”

Zuko took a step back in surprise when he realized how _tall_ she was. “You’re not from the Fire Nation, are you?”

Shiva shook her head. “I’m sure not! Originally from Kyoshi Island, but I’ve been traveling for a bit to see if I can pick up new fighting techniques. Unfortunately for me, a lot of places seem to have this silly idea that women shouldn’t know how to fight.” Upon seeing Zuko’s wrinkled nose at the thought, she laughed. “My thoughts exactly.”

Starting to go through some warm up stretches, Shiva eyed her new student. When she had heard that her student would be a prince, she’d been wary. Earth Kingdom princes were notoriously useless at pretty much everything. They relied far too heavily on their guards for Shiva’s taste. But it seemed that the Fire Nation was different. Prince Zuko was fit, with lithe muscles that promised mobility and flexibility rather than slow bulk.

And he was copying her.

Shiva blinked in surprise when she realized that the prince was mirroring every stretch and pose she did, watching her closely and mimicking her movements. It seemed he was a fast learner, too. He corrected his own form without her having to say a word. Despite all of this, there was a set to his shoulders that made him seem nervous. Shiva frowned softly when she noticed. What did a prince have to be nervous about?

Zuko paused when he saw the frown on his new teacher’s face. “Am I doing something wrong?”

Master Shiva seemed to shake herself out of her own thoughts and shook her head. “Just thinking through some things, your Highness. Nothing to worry about.” 

Zuko bit his lip, but decided not to argue with her. “You don’t have to call me ‘your Highness’ or any of those titles, you know. Master Juzu never did.”

Master Shiva raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

Zuko shrugged. “My old firebending teacher.”

That caught the swordswoman by surprise. “Hold on, you’re a firebender? Why on earth are you learning swords?”

Her student winced, looking away. “He said I was hopeless. I can’t really...firebend, exactly. I can only breathe fire.”

Shiva sat down rather suddenly after that. “You...can _breathe fire_?!”

Zuko nodded, giving a tiny demonstration. “I can’t bend it though. I only found out I could do this by accident, and I can’t make any of the real forms work. Master Juzu said I was hopeless and I think Dad fired him for that.”

Shiva processed that for quite a while. No wonder the kid was so nervous around her, if that was the way his last teacher had treated him. She was still curious about one thing, though. “So why are you wanting to learn swords?”

Zuko’s eyes were earnest as they looked up at her. “Because I still wanna be able to fight and defend myself.” He gestured to the dragon relaxing at the edge of the courtyard. “When I tried to rescue Druk, I didn’t know what I was doing, and he ended up having to save me instead. I don’t want that to happen ever again.”

Shiva nodded. That was a good enough reason for her. “Alright then. Let’s get started.” She took her starting form and began talking Zuko through what he needed to do.

*********

Shiva bowed as she was shown into the throne room of the palace, a deeper bow than one might have normally expected from an Earth Kingdom citizen to the Fire Lord, although not quite as deep as a Fire Nation citizen would have given. She had developed a deep respect for the man over the past few weeks, and it was entirely thanks to his son.

When Fire Lord Sozin spoke from behind the curtain of flames, his voice was deep and his tone was entirely unreadable. The shadows cast on his face, obscured even more by the heat haze of the fire, made it entirely impossible to know his mood or what he might want to hear. “Tell me how my son’s lessons have been progressing.” 

Shiva nodded. “Of course, your Majesty, but I will warn you that I tend to be rather blunt. I’m not one for all these fancy, flowy words that nobles like to use.” Did the Fire Lord tense slightly when she said that? Oh well, it was too late now to take it back. “To be completely honest, your Majesty, your son doesn’t act like a prince.”

There was a beat of silence. “Explain.”

“I hope you’ll understand when I tell you that I was expecting your son to act like an Earth Kingdom prince. And Earth Kingdom princes are rather useless at pretty much everything.” The flame wall flared slightly, but Shiva pressed on. “I was expecting a spoiled child who was playing at swords until he got bored and then I would be dismissed. Quite frankly, I very nearly didn’t accept this position in the first place, until my own swordmaster told me that I should take it.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “What I found was not what I feared, though. Prince Zuko is not only a hard worker and an intelligent boy, he is a natural at the dao. Most children wouldn’t even be able to handle one sword, but he makes using two look easy. When he told me he’d never been trained in swords before I came here, I honestly didn’t believe him at first.”

The more she talked, the calmer the curtain of flames became, the flares quieting down and the heat haze dissipating. The sight that she was greeted with was a man with a gold ornament in his black hair giving her the smile of a proud father. “You have treated my son with dignity and respect. For that I thank you. I’ve noticed how much happier he has been since your lessons with him began. I am grateful that your master convinced you to come here and teach Zuko.” He inclined his head. “Now, I believe you have a lesson to go teach. Don’t let me keep you from it.” Shiva bowed, recognizing that she was dismissed, and hurried off to the courtyard where Zuko was waiting for her.

Zuko looked up from where he was stretching when she arrived. He quickly straightened and bowed to her. “Hello, Master Shiva.”

Shiva smiled, returning the bow. “Hello, Prince Zuko. Ready for your lesson? You seem all limbered up to me.”

Zuko nodded, an excited smile on his face. “I just finished stretching when you got here. You said we’re starting sparring today, right?”

Shiva nodded, passing him the dulled training swords he’d been practicing with. “That we are.” She took a fighting stance, Zuko mimicking her. “Ready...and begin!” Before she took a single step, Zuko leapt forward with a slash of one sword. Shiva dodged nimbly to the side, sweeping out an attack as the boy sailed past her. To her surprise, there was the clash of steel on steel as his second sword intercepted her attack and then tried to counter.

Shiva dodged the counter, swinging one sword near his head and the other near his feet. She kept an eye on his reactions, ready to stop her blades in an instant to avoid hurting him. Even though they were dulled, the swords could still pack a rather hefty punch. 

Rather than dodging backwards, as most fighters would have done, Zuko instead threw himself into the air, flying in between the two strikes before landing and striking back before Shiva had a chance to recover. She jumped backwards, inwardly impressed and decided quietly to maybe not take it so easily on him anymore. 

Now decided, Shiva darted in with a flurry of attacks, too quick for practically anyone to follow. Zuko went on the defensive, trying to gain space between the two of them to recover, but Shiva kept advancing. Finally he managed to flip backwards, the gymnastics taking Shiva by surprise. She paused for just a breath, and Zuko took the opportunity to spin his blades forward.

And flames trailed in their wake.

Shiva and Zuko both shouted in surprise at the sudden, searing heat so close to them. Shiva dropped to the ground, the flames sailing over her head harmlessly, as Zuko leapt backwards and looked around for whatever firebender had decided to intervene. 

There was no one. Zuko frowned, looking harder, but still he saw no one but Master Shiva and Druk in the courtyard. The dragon looked up at him from where he lay basking in a ray of sunlight. He was too far away to have caused the fire without Zuko noticing which meant…

“So you can firebend, after all.” Zuko jumped as Shiva’s voice spoke up behind him. 

He whirled around, immediately dropping into a low, apologetic bow. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t trying to hurt you!”

Shiva chuckled. “Relax, Prince Zuko, I’m fine. You’re not the first firebender I’ve sparred with, and I doubt you’ll be the last.”

Zuko looked up at her. “So...I really was the one who made the fire?”

Shiva nodded. “That you were. I should have been expecting something like this, now that I think about it. Some benders do better if they have some way of directing their element that isn’t just their body.”

She was greeted with a very confused-looking student at that statement. “What do you mean?”

Shiva chuckled. “I’m from Kyoshi Island, remember? Didn’t you ever wonder why Avatar Kyoshi used those war fans of hers? Yes, they were a gift from her family, but also they helped her hone her bending. She struggled with it when she was first starting out.” Zuko’s eyes widened. He’d never thought about that before. But if even the Avatar had struggled with her bending at first, then maybe he wasn’t so hopeless after all.

Shiva hummed. “We might want to speak with your father about finding you a firebending teacher now. I can show you what to do with swords, but there’s probably a lot of details about firebending that I just won’t know.”

Zuko slumped. He really didn’t want another teacher like Master Juzu. “I already know all the basic forms. Isn’t that enough?”

Shiva shook her head. “Basics will only get you so far, Prince Zuko. And besides, there’s a whole lot more to bending than just fighting forms.”

Zuko tilted his head. “Like what?”

Shiva laughed. “How should I know? I’m not a bender! But I know that it’s an important thing for you to learn. And don’t you want to learn just how much you can do?” Zuko thought about that for a moment before nodding with a grin. He really, really did. He wanted to know how much he was capable of. Maybe someday he might even get to be as strong as his dad.


	5. Dispute

Sozin sighed, running a hand down his face. Who would have thought that a bunch of pacifistic monks could cause so much of a hassle? Between the issues with the Western Air Temple’s children nearly blowing away a small village while they were playing, to the current issue of trade dispute with the Southern Air Temple, it was easy to say that the Air Nomads were the cause of the Fire Lord’s growing headache.

There was a knock on the door and Sozin looked up. A servant bowed low to him. “Prince Zuko is here to see you, your Majesty.”

Sozin nodded, waving a hand. “Let him in.” The servant bowed again, stepping out and allowing Zuko past him and into the room.

Sozin couldn’t help but smile as he saw his younger son come into the room. Over the years, his boy had grown into a strong and capable young man. The fifteen-year-old gave his father a wave, the light from the window glinting off the engraved golden band that kept his own topknot in place. “You wanted to see me?”

Sozin nodded. “I need your help with something. Have a seat.” He gestured to the seat across from him, which Zuko quickly settled into. “Are you aware of some of the problems we’ve been having with the Air Nomads lately?”

Zuko made a small face. “Yeah. Qa Jin village had a hard time rebuilding. Druk and I went there to see if we could help, remember?”

Sozin nodded again. “Exactly. Well, currently there’s some disagreements between the Fire Nation and the Southern Air Temple regarding trade. They claim that we haven’t sent them enough in return for the fruit that was delivered a few weeks ago. Not only that, but the Temple Elders refuse to leave, and they won’t send a representative to negotiate for them. They insist that a member of the royal family come and speak with them directly.”

Zuko grunted. “I take it that’s where I come in?”

“Exactly. Of course, I wouldn’t send you alone. I was going to send a noble with you, to help deal with some of it. Probably Shoze, since his family was the one who handled the payment to begin with.”

Zuko hummed. “Hope he’s not afraid of heights. As long as he isn’t, Druk should be able to carry both of us without a problem.”

Sozin chuckled. “Honestly, if he made a mistake on the payment and it’s causing this much of a hassle for me, I hope the man is afraid of heights.”

Zuko grinned. “Fair enough. When do we leave?”

His father thought about it for a moment. “Would tomorrow be too soon? I’d like to get this handled and have you back before your sixteenth birthday.”

Zuko shook his head. “That won’t be a problem. Shouldn’t take more than a day or two to settle once we get there. Honestly, we’ll probably spend more time traveling than we will at the Air Temple.”

Sozin got up, hugging his son. “Then fly safely, and we’ll celebrate once you get back.”

Zuko returned the hug with a smile. Hopefully this wouldn’t take very long, and he’d be back home in time for his birthday next month. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but this one felt like it would be important somehow.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly collided with his brother as he walked down the hallway. Azulon chuckled, steadying him. “Careful, Zuko. Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face. It’s the only thing you’ve got going for you, after all.”

Zuko swatted at him with an easy grin. “At least I have that. You don’t really have much of anything going for you, do you?”

Azulon laughed. “What’s got you so wrapped up in your own head? You looked like you were thinking hard about something.”

Zuko shrugged. “Dad needs me to head over to the Southern Air Temple and settle some kind of trade dispute. I was thinking through the logistics of it. I need to figure out if there are any inns on the way where we could spend the night.”

Azulon raised an eyebrow. “‘We’? Don’t you and Druk normally camp?”

Zuko groaned softly. “Yeah, we do. Unfortunately, we have to take the noble who made the payment with us.”

His brother shrugged. “Some of the nobles would be fine with camping, I bet. Like maybe Ya Li or Taoko. Who was in charge of the payment?”

“Shoze.”

Azulon made a face. “Best of luck with that one. If he accidentally fell off Druk somewhere above the ocean, I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

Zuko snorted. “Thanks, Azulon. I appreciate it.”

Azulon smiled, patting his brother on the back. “Don’t mention it. And hurry back! It would be a shame if you missed your own birthday.”

*********

Shoze, as it turned out, was more afraid of the dragon than he was of heights. Druk had now grown into a full-size, fiery red dragon who only seemed to truly listen to the boy known as the Dragon Prince. For Zuko to say that the noble next to him looked nervous would have been a severe understatement. Internally, Zuko was rather grateful for this. Shoze was definitely not one of Zuko’s favorite nobles. He found the man to be all too similar in personality to a snake weasel. He seemed far too eager to please, and was far too quick to grab for power.

In other words, Zuko usually tried to avoid him. But his father was right. Having the man who had arranged for the payment present would make settling things far simpler. It made sense to bring Shoze along, it just meant that Zuko had to put up with him during the trip.

Zuko had to practically drag the man onto Druk’s back. The dragon eyed the man in distaste before glancing at Zuko, as if asking if he really intended to bring the noble with him. Zuko just shrugged, patting Druk’s neck before climbing into his saddle and making sure he and their supplies were properly secured. “Alright, Druk. That’s everything. Time to head to the Southern Air Temple.”

Druk lifted off with a leap into the air and a downward sweep of his massive wings. Shoze let out a small noise of fear, gripping at the straps holding his legs to the saddle. Zuko glanced back at him, looking a little bored. “Is something wrong?”

Shoze shook his head quickly. “Ah, n-no, your Highness.”

Zuko grunted, turning his attention forward again. He had already planned out where they might stay for the night before continuing their flight. He hoped that Shoze wouldn’t raise too much of a fuss about staying in a small inn. Although he supposed he could always threaten the man with forcing him to camp in the woods instead. Zuko had always been rather fond of camping. He loved spending the night curled into Druk under the stars.

Shoze looked like he’d never spent a night anywhere that wasn’t lined with silk. It was true he had the physique of a practiced firebender, but it was also clear that the man had never had to do a hard day’s work in his more than thirty years of life. By contrast, Zuko’s hands bore the callouses one would expect from a master swordsman. 

Zuko smiled fondly as his thoughts turned to the years spent in lessons with Master Shiva before she had finally declared that he had no more to learn from her. He still visited her occasionally, when she sent word to him of where she had ended up once she resumed her wanderings. The last he’d seen her, she’d been thinking about visiting Omashu. There was apparently some rumor about strange happenings with the city’s mail system that sounded interesting to her. Zuko couldn’t really remember why. He simply shrugged it off after a few minutes. It must not have been terribly important. 

As the sun began to sink low towards the horizon, Druk descended into the outskirts of a small town on the coast of the Fire Nation. A few villagers waved in greeting at the sight of the dragon and his riders, and Zuko waved back before starting to undo the straps of the saddle.

Behind him, Shoze cleared his throat hesitantly. “Ah...Excuse me asking, your Highness, but where exactly are we?”

Zuko glanced back at him. “This is Sho Hu village. It’s part of the Hideki domain under Domain Lady Ya Li.” 

He frowned slightly at the sniff of disdain that Shoze made. “Why are we staying in such a backwater place? Surely one of your royal status deserves more fitting accommodations than these.”

The prince’s frown deepened. “Sho Hu village is the last stop before the ocean. Every time I’ve flown south, I’ve stayed here. That is, unless you’d prefer to camp in the woods nearby. The sound of the mole crickets can be lovely this time of year.”

Shoze shifted nervously. “Perhaps this is for the best, then. The woods seem...unfit for one of your status.”

Zuko snorted softly. More like for one of Shoze’s status. He’d be willing to bet the man had never slept on anything but fine silks. He was really in for a rude awakening when they arrived at the Southern Air Temple. Zuko knew from personal experience that the monks weren’t exactly ones for extravagant comforts.

As the pair walked into the village, Zuko did his best to ignore Shoze’s barely-hidden disdain for the town. The man was seriously starting to grate on the prince’s nerves. He hated dealing with people who thought they were better than others just because they had been born into a wealthy or powerful family. He gritted his teeth and led the way into the inn, leaving Druk outside to sleep near the town. He had long since grown too large to follow Zuko into buildings.

Zuko led the way into the inn, feeling himself relax slightly as he stepped through the door. He always liked this inn. The people were nice and while they were respectful, they never acted as though they were afraid of Zuko or his status as prince. 

The young woman who ran the inn waved cheerfully to Zuko. “Hello, Dragon Prince. Will you be wanting the usual room?”

Zuko hummed. “Hello, Tei. I’ll need a room and some food, but so will Shoze here.” He gestured to his companion. 

Shoze sniffed. “I am _Domain Lord_ Shoze, girl. You would do well to remember it.” Zuko scowled at his rudeness. Sprits, this man was unbearable.

Tei’s face slipped into her mask she wore when forced to deal with unpleasant customers. “Of course, my lord. I can show you to your room and have a tray of food brought up to you.” Shoze sneered as Tei led him up the stairs, Zuko sitting down in the main room with a groan. He was glad to be away from Shoze for even a few moments.

Unfortunately, a few moments was all the tired prince got. A cry from upstairs that sounded suspiciously like Tei and the sound of something breaking had Zuko on his feet and rushing up the stairs, one hand drawing his dao from their sheath. He darted through the only open door he saw and was greeted with the sight of Tei struggling to get away, Shoze’s grip painfully tight around her wrist.

Shoze hadn’t noticed Zuko come in yet, too intent on his prey. She cried out as his hand heated, nearly sparking fire to burn her. “Stop resisting, you stupid girl! You should be honored to-”

His sentence stopped rather abruptly at the feeling of cold steel on his neck. His prince’s words were ice cold. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

Shoze gulped, feeling the blade shift on his neck as he did so. “A-ah...Your Highness...I-I w-was simply-”

Zuko’s glare stopped him in his tracks. “Let her go. Now.” Shoze’s grip released instantly, and Tei stumbled away from him. Zuko gently caught her and helped her regain her balance with his free hand. “Go on back downstairs. I’ll deal with him. Just leave me the key to his room.” Tei nodded silently, giving Zuko the key before hurrying away, her face pale.

“Y-your Highness, there’s no need…” Shoze’s voice trailed off at the look of cold fury Zuko gave him.

“I don’t want to hear another word out of you. This is your one and only warning, Shoze. The rest of this trip, you will be on your best behavior. If there is any other problem, and I mean _any_ , I will have you stripped of your titles and bestow them on someone more deserving. Now, you are going to remain in this room until I come get you tomorrow morning. I will be locking your door, and the key will be with me the entire time. We leave at dawn.”

With that, Zuko spun his swords away from the sweating noble, sheathing them again with practiced ease. He spun on his heel, sweeping out of the room and closing the door behind him. Shoze felt his stomach drop as he heard the click of the lock slipping into place. He needed to find some kind of way to get back on the prince’s good side. This wouldn’t do at all.


	6. The Southern Air Temple

When they finally arrived at the Southern Air Temple, Zuko had never been more glad to slide off of Druk’s back. Shoze had spent the entire flight trying to ingratiate himself with the prince, and Zuko was quickly losing his patience. The snake weasel masquerading as a person had tried to subtly imply all the things he could do for Zuko, only some of which were legal. Zuko was worried that if he kept gritting his teeth this hard one of them was going to crack.

Two monks greeted the prince and his companion with a bow, the elder stepping forward. “Greetings, Prince Zuko. I am Monk Sengen. The Temple Elders send their regards and thank you for coming to resolve this issue with them.”

Zuko gave a shallow but respectful bow in return. “I hope that this is a simple misunderstanding that can be resolved quickly. When will they be available to meet with me?”

“The Elders regret that there are other matters they must attend to today. Would tomorrow be agreeable to you, your Highness? You will, of course, receive accommodations while you wait.”

Zuko saw Shoze bristle out of the corner of his eye and rushed to answer before the man could say something rude. He liked the monks. “That would be perfect. We flew almost nonstop to get here, so I know we’re rather tired. A day to rest would be welcome.”

Sengen smiled, bowing again. “Excellent. In that case, I will show you and your companion to your rooms. Would your dragon like a place to sleep as well? We have an empty stable where visiting bison would stay.”

Zuko nodded. “That’s fine. If Druk doesn’t like it, I’m sure he’ll find somewhere else to sleep and come back tomorrow morning.”

With that settled, the monks led Zuko and Shoze through the temple. Zuko took in the large, soaring archways, monks flying through them easily. Many were accompanied by their students, ranging from boys who still looked a little shaky in the air to young men roughly Zuko’s age, probably only weeks or months away from their mastery tattoos. 

A few of the arches and windows had wind chimes or streamers flowing gently from them. Looking out, Zuko could see flourishing orchards of fruit trees, a ball court with children playing happily, and meditation courtyards, where many of the elders seemed to congregate. Zuko smiled. Everyone looked so happy, and the air was incredibly peaceful.

Sengen eventually came to a stop at two doors that stood next to each other. He gestured for them. “These two will be your rooms for as long as you stay with us. We hope you will find them acceptable. Feel free to explore the temple and clear your mind. I or another monk will come here tomorrow to bring you to your meeting with the Elders.” He bowed before leaving, the younger monk trailing silently behind him.

Zuko chose one of the rooms at random and stepped inside, looking around. The bed was simple, a raised stone dais covered in simple reed padding, with a blanket over the top of it. There was a small desk with scrolls and ink readily available, should he need to send a letter or take notes of some kind. A chest at the foot of the bed was revealed to contain some spare clothing. Zuko looked over this curiously. It appeared to be the right size for him, and consisted of dark pants that tucked easily into high, lightweight boots, a dark, tight-fitting long sleeved undershirt, and a deep red wrap designed to drape over one shoulder before hanging down. The yellow strip of cloth included was clearly designed to function as a belt.

Zuko’s attention was drawn away from the clothing by a frustrated huff he heard from behind him. Turning, he saw Shoze standing in the doorway with an outraged look on his face. “What are these monks playing at? First forcing us to wait and now giving us these shoddy rooms? Why, these aren’t even fit for servants to sleep in!”

Zuko frowned. “Have you forgotten that these are _monks_? If you were expecting cushions and silks, then that’s your fault. Every resident of the temples has the same rooms, from the students to the Elders.” Shoze looked ready to protest further, but Zuko just held up a hand, cutting him off. “Either get used to it, or be quiet about it. Complaining won’t make it change. Now, I’m going to explore the temple some. And I expect you to behave while we’re here. My warning in Sho Hu still applies.”

Shoze’s mouth shut with a _snap_ and Zuko nodded, striding past him out of the room. He was frankly relieved when Shoze chose not to follow him, instead just stomping back into his own room with a huff. Spirits, he was looking forward to this trip being over. Then he could tell his dad what Shoze had done and have him deal with the man. The more he interacted with Shoze, the more Zuko wondered if the monks were right about their payment being incorrect. He could easily believe that Shoze would try to shortchange the monks and pocket the extra himself.

He shook himself slightly as he strolled out of the temple and onto the grounds outside. He didn’t want to be thinking about Shoze right now. The temple was beautiful, and Zuko wanted to enjoy it. He had only been here a couple of times before, each while acting on behalf of his father. This had always unfortunately meant that he never stayed long, and he fully planned to make the best of however long he got to stay this time.

Zuko eventually found that his wandering feet had led him to one of the meditation courtyards that Monk Sengen had mentioned. He shrugged to himself, settling down in a ray of sunlight, unlike the monks already present and sitting in the shade. It wasn’t the same as meditating with candles, but sitting directly in Agni’s light was always calming to Zuko. He assumed his meditation pose, closed his eyes, and let the warmth permeate his being.

Zuko wasn’t aware of how long he spent meditating in that courtyard. He didn’t notice the looks of approval he received from passing monks taking note of him. Nor did he register the smell of pies being baked on a balcony several stories above the courtyard by an elderly monk and his young pupil. He certainly didn’t see Shoze lurking around the courtyard several times over the course of the hours he spent there, trying to look for some opportunity and use it to his advantage. 

The one thing he did notice, however, was the pie that landed directly on his chest.

The force of the impact very nearly bowled the young prince over and his eyes flew open as he cried out in surprise. Fruit filling and cream splattered all over his robes, some even landing on his pants and shoes. In short, the prince was now a complete mess.

And then the lemurs came.

Flying in from all parts of the temple, the large-eared furballs descended on Zuko and began trying to eat the splattered pie off of him. Zuko gave a frustrated huff, waving them off and picking himself up off the ground. Glancing around, he realized he was the only person left in this particular courtyard. However, no sooner had he realized this than a pair of people dropped from a balcony above and landed lightly in front of him.

Zuko eyed the pair with a raised eyebrow, taking them in. The elder monk had a look of reproval on his face, his white mustache not quite hiding the downturn of his mouth as he looked at the boy next to him. Zuko’s attention turned to him and blinked in surprise. The boy standing in front of him, looking very ashamed of himself, couldn’t have been more than twelve. How had a kid this young managed to get his mastery arrows already?

Before Zuko could process much more than that, the boy stepped forward and bent into a deep, apologetic bow. “I’m really, really sorry. I’ve pranked some of the other monks in this courtyard before, and I thought you were one of them. I didn’t mean any insult by it.”

His teacher stepped forward then. “You see, Aang, this is why you need to be more observant. If you had taken a moment to look before you acted, then you would have noticed that the prince here is no monk. We need to work on your mastery of neutral jin.” The monk turned, bowing to Zuko. “My deepest apologies on behalf of my student, Prince Zuko. I should have kept a closer eye on what he was doing.”

Zuko held up a hand, stopping them both. “It’s alright. There’s really no harm done. Someone was kind enough to leave a spare set of clothes in the room I’m staying in. I’ll go put those on, and perhaps Aang here can wash mine and return them to me tomorrow.”

Aang brightened considerably at that. “Really? You’re not mad?”

Zuko smiled. He might have a master’s arrows, but this was definitely still a little kid. “As long as you do a good job, then no, I won’t be mad. Why don’t you two follow me to my room so I can give you these clothes to wash after I change?” Aang and his teacher both nodded, following Zuko as he headed out. None of them noticed Shoze hiding behind a pillar, a concerning gleam in the noble’s eye.

Aang bounced ahead of the pair, leading the way towards Zuko’s room. His teacher kept pace with Zuko, humming softly. “I must thank you, Prince Zuko. I know there are many nobles who would not have been nearly as forgiving of Aang.”

Zuko thought about how Shoze would have reacted and grimaced. That wouldn’t have been pretty. “It’s really no harm at all, Monk…?”

He smiled. “Monk Gyatso. It seems your father has raised you well, your Highness.”

Zuko tilted his head. “You say that as if you know him.”

Gyatso nodded. “I have met him on a few occasions. The first of which, if I’m not mistaken, was shortly after your birth. I and my student at the time were visiting the Western Air Temple and we brought news to the Fire Lord as we passed by.”

Zuko blinked at that information. “You’re the monk who told him that Avatar Kyoshi died.”

Monk Gyatso inclined his head. “That I am. I’m surprised you remember such a detail.”

Zuko shrugged. “I was born close enough to the time that the Fire Sages tested if I was the Avatar. I remember my parents explaining to me what it meant when I was older.”

Before Gyatso could respond, the trio arrived at Zuko’s room. The prince stepped inside, quickly stripping off his pie-covered clothes and replacing them with those he’d found earlier in his trunk. He took an extra moment to clean the filling out of his hair and polish his hairpiece, redoing his topknot and securing his dao to his back before stepping out again and handing the soiled clothes to Aang.

Aang took the clothes, but he stared curiously at the hilt poking over one of Zuko’s shoulders. “Why do you keep your sword with you? You won’t need it here.”

Zuko smiled, touching the sheath before responding. “My master taught me that it’s always best to be prepared. The swords aren’t just for cutting things. They also help me channel my firebending.” He gestured to the staff the young monk kept with him. “You always have that with you, even if you’re not planning on flying or bending at the moment. I keep my swords with me for the same reason.”

Aang frowned. “But swords and fire can hurt people. Why would you want to keep them close?”

Gyatso stepped forward then, answering before Zuko had a chance to. “Air can cause harm too, Aang. Consider the storms that plague the Fire Nation every year. Or better yet, remember what I told you happened with some of the younglings from the Western Air Temple when they got too rowdy in Qa Jin. The prince knows well what damage winds can cause.” The monk tapped his student’s forehead. “Use that brain of yours and think. The prince knows we won’t hurt him, but it is better to be prepared. What if he needed to protect himself or someone else? You know as well as I do that not all the wildlife in our mountains are friendly. Sometimes a show of force is needed to scare them away.”

Aang blinked before nodding. “I didn’t think about that. I guess that makes sense.”

Zuko nodded. “Happy to clear things up. Now, I think I’m going to go for a walk. And you,” he looked at Aang, “have some laundry to do.”

*********

Aang headed off towards one of the nearby mountain streams, eager to complete his task and return the prince’s clothes. Prince Zuko seemed like a really neat guy! And he hadn’t even seemed mad about the pie at all! Sure, Gyatso had told him off, but Aang thought that was understandable. He really had meant to hit an older monk instead.

The boy arrived at the stream not long after, glancing around. He grinned when he realized he was the only person there, which was surprising since this was the closest stream to the temple. That meant that none of the older monks could see what he was doing and get him in trouble with the Elders. He could just wash these clothes really fast and walk back before Gyatso finished his meditation.

Settling down, Aang got to work laying out the clothes and carefully clearing off the fruit and cream from them. Just as he started dipping the clothes into the stream to scrub them, however, he heard what sounded like footsteps coming up along the path. Listening for a moment, he shrugged, turning back to his task. It was probably just one of the other monks coming to do their own laundry. He hoped they wouldn’t pay too close attention to what he was washing.

Unknown to Aang, Shoze sneered as he made his way towards where he’d seen that little brat run off with the prince’s clothes. If he played this right, he could use the child’s actions as an insult against the Fire Nation. Of course, that would require recompense, and the monks would be forced to sweep any missed payments for trade under the rug in order to make their problem go away. He just needed the prince’s robes. Although, if he could get the little runt of a monk to confess, that would just add to his arguments.

Shoze felt the faintest flickers of fire trying to sprout from his fingertips at his excitement. He tamped those down with a sadistic grin. It wouldn’t do to give himself away too early with his own fire, but perhaps he could use it, when the time was right, to...motivate the boy. Yes, that would work quite nicely. After all, what hope did a pacifistic child have against a master firebender like himself?

Aang glanced over his shoulder when he heard footsteps enter the clearing. He blinked in surprise to see the Fire Nation noble that had come with Prince Zuko. Why was he here? Did he need to wash something too? 

His thoughts froze at the cruel look on the man’s face. Whatever he was doing here, it didn’t feel like it would be good. Aang stood up, ready to fly back to the temple, but then the man spoke, his voice silky smooth. “Oh, don’t leave on my account. After all, you’re the reason I’m here.”

Aang tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

The noble pointed to the wet clothes held in Aang’s hand. “Those belong to the prince. I’d hate for someone to mistake you for stealing them.”

“I didn’t steal them!” Aang’s voice was indignant. “I’m just washing them to-”

He was cut off as the noble jumped in. “To get rid of the evidence of your attack on the prince!”

Aang took a step back, alarmed at the man’s angry shout. “Wh-what?! I didn’t attack him! It was just a prank! It was-”

“It was a deliberate insult on the royal family of the Fire Nation!” The noble roared, his face turning red. “I won’t stand for it. You will admit what you’ve done to your Elders, and they will repay my nation for this grievous insult to our honor!”

He slashed his hand through the air, flames trailing behind it as Aang yelped, leaping backwards to avoid getting burned. He landed with a splash, knee-deep in the stream. “What are you doing?!”

The noble sneered. “Do as I say, you foolish boy, or next time I won’t miss.” He cradled fire in his open palm as an added threat. Aang didn’t respond, his eyes darting around for an opening for him to get away. He saw his glider staff, laying on the ground behind the noble. He suddenly wished he’d taken what Gyatso and the prince had said more seriously and kept his staff closer at hand.

Shoze saw the boy eyeing his staff on the ground and looking for escape routes. That couldn’t be allowed. This whelp of a monk had to be taught to listen to him now, or he might tell the Elders what had really happened and wreck Shoze’s entire plan. Growling, Shoze struck out, punching a blast of fire at the boy.

*********

Zuko had been enjoying his walk through the temple. When he felt he had taken in all the architecture had to offer, he’d moved on to walking the grounds surrounding the temple. He’d found what looked like a walking path leading into the woods and decided to follow it.

Then he’d heard the shouting. 

It was too distant for Zuko to make out what exactly was being said, but he’d unfortunately had enough experience with the man to recognize the voice as Shoze’s. The angry words sounded like they were coming from further down the path, and Zuko frowned, quickening his pace. Whatever problems the man had decided to cause now, Zuko needed to head them off.

When he heard the young-sounding voice responding, sounding timid and confused, Zuko broke into a run. This couldn’t be good. He needed to do something.

Zuko sprinted into the clearing just in time to see Shoze send a fireball flying through the air towards Aang. He shouted in alarm, lashing out with a blast of his own and knocking the flame off-course. It careened away, impacting the rocky shore of the stream and exploding in a hiss of steam.

Zuko planted himself in between Aang and Shoze, watching the other firebender for signs of another attack. “Shoze! Explain yourself!”

Shoze looked almost deranged as he gesticulated wildly. “What are you doing? This was going perfectly! We could have everything we want, and it’ll be so easy. All we have to do is get this idiotic little boy to confess to attacking you and the monks will have to let go of this silly trade dispute! No one would dare oppose the words of a prince and a domain lord!”

Zuko’s eyes narrowed. “Aang didn’t attack me. It was a simple misunderstanding about a childish prank. And after how you have acted on this trip, you will no longer be a domain lord when we return to Caldera City. I will have you stripped of your power and titles, and at this rate, you’ll be lucky if I don’t see you thrown in prison for what you’ve tried to pull here.”

There was a manic gleam in Shoze’s eyes. “Then I suppose the only thing better than a prince’s word is a prince’s corpse. Such a shame the little airbender redirected the flames meant for him back at you!” His fist lashed out, flames roaring forward towards Zuko.

Zuko cursed under his breath, sweeping them to the side and stumbling a little at their force as he did so. He could just dodge because then the flames would hit Aang. He needed to end this quickly, or the young monk ran the risk of being seriously injured. Unfortunately, he knew just how difficult this fight was going to be. As much as he hated to admit it, Shoze was a master firebender, with over a decade and a half more experience in the element than Zuko had. If he could just draw his dao and get in close, he might stand a chance at ending this fight before it really got started.

As his hand reached up to draw his swords, another incoming blast forced him to sweep the hand back downwards to block it. Shoze swept a horizontal slash of fire through the air right after it, and Zuko hastily split it. “Now, now, your _Highness_ , what kind of proper firebender has to rely on steel to win? Fire is the superior element! Firebenders carry the light of Agni within ourselves! We don’t need to look outside of us to find our power. It’s within us!” Shoze’s face split into an ugly snarl. “You could take anything you want! Use your power, and take what is yours by right!”

Zuko blocked another blast, feeling the sweat starting to collect on his forehead. He couldn’t let this go on for much longer. “Might is not right! Just because you’re powerful enough to steal something, that doesn’t make it yours!” Behind him, he heard faint splashing as Aang tried to edge away, out of the line of fire.

Shoze’s eyes darted to the movement, seeing the airbender starting to run towards the tree line where he could escape. Snarling, the noble sent a wave of flame to engulf the boy and end this whole mess. It was his fault things had gone wrong, and Shoze would make the little bastard pay!

Zuko’s eyes widened. That wall of fire was too big for him to block. He dove forward with a shout of warning, shoving Aang out of the way. The flames impacted Zuko full-force, knocking him to the ground and sending him skidding back several feet. His head hit a rock as he slid, leaving the prince disoriented.

There was a cruel sneer on Shoze’s face as he sent one more fireblast directly at the prince’s face. Finally, he could kill both of these thorns in his side and then deal with those blasted Temple Elders! The profits from the war that Fire Lord Sozin would declare over the death of his son would make Shoze rich beyond his wildest dreams!

Aang cried out, sending an airblast to try and knock the flames away. He needed to help the prince! He couldn’t block that kind of shot!

Unfortunately, neither could Aang.

The wind caused the fireball to veer to the side, yes, but it wasn’t enough. Flames engulfed the left half of the prince’s face, and he screamed in pain as the smell of burning flesh lanced through the air.

*********

When Druk smelled the _human-fire-gift-of-Agni_ , he knew something was wrong. He launched into the air with a snarl. That wasn’t the smell of his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko’s_ fire. That was the _oil-snake-weasel-Shoze’s_ scent. Druk hadn’t liked the man when he’d first had to carry him, and his opinion hadn’t improved. His scent was _lies-and-trickery-and-not-of-mine_. 

Druk raced toward the scent of _human-fire-gift-of-Agni_ when he smelled the flame of his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_. He also smelled the _stink-of-prey-fear-human-scared_. His ears caught the sound of _human-young-scared-shout_ , and he finally came within view to see a _small-red-yellow-human-young_ hiding behind his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ as he faced off against the _oil-snake-weasel-Shoze-traitor_.

The _small-red-yellow-human-young_ tried to run. He edged to the side before trying to flee. Druk tucked into a dive as he saw his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ tackle the _small-red-yellow-human-young_ out of the way, getting hit instead. Druk snarled at the _hurt-injured-pain-sound_ that came from him. How dare the _oil-snake-weasel-Shoze-traitor_ hurt him?!

Then he saw the bloom of _human-fire-gift-of-Agni_ and smelled the _burn-hurt-fire-flesh_ just as his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ let out a scream.

Druk roared with _fury-and-anger-and-hurt-mine_. He dove to the ground lashing out with _sharp-claw-hurt-kill_ at the one who had hurt his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_. The pathetic _oil-snake-weasel-Shoze-traitor_ tried to dodge, but was still slashed badly across his chest. Druk felt satisfaction at his _hurt-injured-pain-sound_. He wanted _vengeance-justice-for-hurting-mine_ , but he needed to get his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ to _safe-help-human-healing_.

Druk gently gripped his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ in his claws, lifting off with a roar and flying away with all the speed he could. He remembered the humans talking of _ice-cold-ever-winter-lands_ to the south where there was _safe-help-human-healing_ with _human-water-gift-of-La_. There he could find help for the _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_.

_Storm-wet-harsh-wind_ buffeted Druk as he kept going, trying desperately to get to _ice-cold-ever-winter-lands_. He kept flying, kept trying. Then the sky lit up with _storm-fire-lightning-bright_ as Druk roared with _hurt-pained-injured-sound_. His body locked and fell from the sky towards the _cold-dark-wave-of-Tui_ below.

Druk felt his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ stiffen in his grip as they hit the _cold-dark-wave-of-Tui_. Suddenly there was _bright-glow-eye-hurt-spirit-light_ as Druk felt the _cold-dark-wave-of-Tui_ swirl around him. Then it grew colder, and Druk knew no more.


	7. The Boy in the Iceberg

The unsinking sun sat high in the sky, an unblinking watcher of the ice floes below. It was winter in the South Pole, and the sun wouldn’t set for weeks. Because of this, time was a rather fluid thing, among all the ice and snow. As such, it was no surprise to see a small canoe navigating the ice floes in what would have otherwise been the middle of the night. 

Sokka’s clear blue eyes watched carefully as he guided the canoe along its path. He made sure to avoid scraping the sides of the boat on the sharp ice floating on either side of them. He just hoped Katara spotted a good place for fishing soon. 

His sister, kneeling in the boat to keep balance, had her eyes fixed on the water. Katara knew there were fish somewhere around here. The sheer fact that tiger seals seemed to never come here should mean that she and Sokka would find a fair number of fish. 

Katara shivered slightly as she remembered that little fact. The siblings had been careful, making an offering to the spirits before they paddled out here. Surely that would be enough. They weren’t doing anything to anger the spirits, after all. They would offer some of their catch back to Tui and feed the village with the rest. It would be fine. 

Another shiver went down her back and Katara bit her lip. She still wasn’t seeing any fish. Everything was just...eerily still. “H-hey, Sokka?”

Sokka grunted, using his paddle to push them away from an ice wall before looking up at her. “Yeah?”

Katara shifted, glancing at the water again. “Maybe we should go...There’s nothing here, and this place is starting to feel weird.”

Sokka’s eyes narrowed. “You mean like…?” The last time his sister had declared that a place ‘felt weird’, the ice had turned out to be unstable. When it was walked on, what had once appeared to be a solid floor had given way to a deep and treacherous ravine. Only Katara’s panicked waterbending had saved him. In short, Sokka had learned to listen to his sister. 

Katara considered that. The stillness was just creepy to her, but she supposed that feeling it out with her bending wouldn’t be a bad idea. She mentally reached out, touching the ice as if she would bend it, but then just letting it sit there. She bit her lip. “The ice feels normal, but-“ She was cut off as the canoe scraped against an ice floe. The jostle made her lose her concentration, and Katara’s awareness of the ice vanished. 

Sokka cursed under his breath, fending off another approaching chunk of ice. Was it just him, or did it feel like they were moving faster?

Behind him, Katara’s voice had an anxious edge to it. “Sokka, maybe you should slow down.”

_Well, I guess that answered that question_. Sokka pushed away another ice floe, eyeing the sharp edges that threatened to put a hole in their canoe. When his paddle dipped back into the water to try and slow them down, Sokka realized what was wrong. “We’re caught in a current. I can’t!”

Dread settled into Katara’s stomach as she watched her brother struggle to keep them clear of the ice. This was bad. If they didn’t navigate the current exactly perfectly, the siblings ran the risk of their canoe shattering on the ice and sending both of them into the water. 

Katara shivered at the thought. Soaked through with no canoe, no fire, and the village that far away? _Dead_ , she realized. _We would be dead_. 

A surprising sense of calm washed over her, then. Katara raised herself up onto her knees so she could see over her brother and reached into the water with her chi. She swept up with her hand, and a blade of water sliced off the spike that was about to tear a gash in their canoe. 

Sokka yelped in surprise, just barely managing to push off the now-smooth lip of the ice. Katara gritted her teeth, trying hard to keep her concentration. “Get us through. I’ll help where I can.” At least she certainly hoped she would. Even with as much as she’d practiced her waterbending, Katara still struggled with it sometimes. And this wasn’t exactly the best of situations for concentration. 

Sokka tried hard not to flinch as another blade of water shot past him, splitting the ice floe blocking their path. He trusted Katara, but he also knew how much she struggled sometimes with her bending. This definitely wasn’t going to be easy. 

The two siblings worked in tandem, each relying on the other as they navigated the dangerous ice field. In a spare moment, Sokka glanced around and sighed in relief as he spotted a landmark. At least the current was taking them closer to the village. 

When he glanced back down, there was an ice wall in his face. Sokka cried out in alarm as Katara lashed her hand through the air, far harsher than any of her previous moves. The canoe rocked dangerously as a huge water blade arced out of the ocean and split the ice wall in half. The siblings sighed in relief.

Their relief was short-lived. A glow began emanating from under the water, growing stronger and stronger. Then there was a surge of water as a huge iceberg broke the surface, bobbing up to float. The water in front of and beneath the canoe swelled, breaking them out of the current and lifting them up on a wave. Sokka and Katara hung onto the sides grimly, hoping they wouldn’t capsize. When the rocking finally stopped, there was a gentle bump as the canoe came to rest next to the newly-floating iceberg. 

Katara looked up at the huge mound of ice, and an uneasy feeling settled into her stomach. The ice had an eerie blue glow to it. It rose in an unnatural, rounded shape, almost spherical. A large crack marred the surface, and Katara had the sinking feeling that she was the one who caused it. 

There was something inside the iceberg. 

Katara felt pure dread as she registered the dark shape amid the glow. It looked...almost like a person, suspended in the ice just above the waterline, below which was a huge, indiscernible mass. She could make out the shape of legs extended downwards, arms outstretched as if they had been frozen mid-action. And two glowing spots where the eyes should be. 

The crack ran almost directly down the center of the figure. 

Katara heard her brother make a soft noise of fear, and she found herself inclined to agree. Had they accidentally disturbed a spirit? What should they do now? Just as she was about to suggest that they leave, there was a loud _snap_ as the crack grew bigger. The ice splintered before shattering with an almighty _crash_ , the dome completely collapsing. Powdered ice and snow flew into the air, the cloud obscuring the entire iceberg. 

And then someone fell out of it.

There was a dull _thump_ as a limp body hit the ice and lay still. Katara could see dark clothing covered by a thin red wrap of some kind. She hesitated for just a moment before climbing out of the canoe to stand on the ice ledge. “H-hello?”

The body didn’t move, not so much as a twitch. Sokka shifted nervously behind her. “Maybe we should just leave…”

Katara shook her head. “And leave someone passed out on the ice? Look at those clothes and tell me they won’t freeze to death.”

Sokka’s mouth was a thin line, but he didn’t argue. Instead he drew his club and stood, ready to walk with her. “Just...be careful. We don’t know whose side they're on.”

Katara nodded. The huge iceberg implied a waterbender, and with the red she could see in their clothes...This could very well be one of their tribe’s enemies. She took a cautious step forward, calling out again. “Hey, are you ok?”

The body still didn’t move. As she got closer, she realized it appeared to be a boy, maybe around her brother’s age. He was laying face-down on the ice, completely limp. Katara watched as Sokka edged closer, nudging the boy with his club. When there was still no response, the siblings carefully turned him over onto his back. 

Katara had to fight back the urge to vomit. The boy’s face had a horrid, massive burn over half of it, the skin an angry, blistered red. She heard Sokka gag next to her before swearing softly. “He met the wrong firebender.”

Katara looked up at her brother. “We need to help him.”

Sokka shifted. “Katara, we don’t know whose side he’s on.”

Katara frowned. “He pretty clearly made an enemy of a firebender.”

Sokka shrugged. “And he’s also wearing red, which means Fire Nation.”

She cast a skeptical eye at the boy’s loose-fitting red wrap. “That doesn’t look like Fire Nation armor to me. And if we leave him here, he’s going to freeze to death.”

Sokka sighed. “Fine, we’ll take him back and let the village decide. But we’re keeping him separate from everyone else.” Katara nodded in agreement and helped Sokka lift the unconscious boy into their canoe before setting off back towards the village. 

Neither of them thought to check if there was anything else in the remains of the iceberg.

*********

When the siblings arrived back at the village with one more person than they’d had when they left, it put everyone on edge. No one knew which side of the war this stranger fell on, and they weren’t too pleased that they couldn’t easily find out. Sokka carried him down the steps into the village, Katara pulling the white fur covering back over their entrance to better blend it in with the snow around it.

Both siblings sighed softly in relief to be out of the wind. With their ice caverns as enclosed as they were, warmth from the fires made the air considerably warmer, even with the ventilation shafts they had. They pulled down their hoods as they made their way to one of the far-off, unused rooms of the caverns. It was the best place they could think of to put this stranger, until they found out who he was and what he wanted.

The other villagers eyed the stranger nervously as he was carried past, only to grimace and look away when they caught sight of his face. Sokka laid him down on a bed of furs, noting how feverish his skin felt as he did so. Sokka couldn’t exactly say he was surprised, however. That burn looked fresh.

Katara frowned as she returned to the room with Gran Gran in tow to see her brother searching the unconscious boy and taking his sword sheath off of him. “What are you doing? That’s his.”

Sokka looked up and raised an eyebrow. “I’m being careful. I don’t want him to wake up and suddenly start swinging a sword around at us.”

Katara huffed. “Do you really think he’s going to wake up anytime soon? Or that he’d be much use in a fight if he did?”

Sokka frowned, but Gran Gran spoke up before he could reply. “Your brother is right to be cautious, Katara. This is a stranger, and it pays to be careful. I’m sure Sokka will return the boy’s sword if he proves to not be a threat.” Seeing her granddaughter somewhat appeased, Gran Gran continued. “Now, would you mind going to check on the ventilation shafts for me? I tried to reassure him, but Palak insists that his is melting.”

Katara nodded, heading off to take care of it. Sokka was glad it would give her something constructive to do, rather than just sitting here and watching as Gran Gran treated the stranger’s burn. He was still a little amazed at how his sister had figured out how to make these caverns, slicing through the ice with her bending to give their village a place to hide. It had probably saved them from a lot of attacks since Dad left with all the warriors.

Sokka swallowed hard, yanking his mind off of the topic. They hadn’t heard from Dad in six years. It hurt to think about him and not know if he was alright. Shaking off his unpleasant feelings, Sokka turned his attention to Gran Gran and the stranger. Although he didn’t really know anything about healing, there was no way Sokka was going to leave her alone with someone he didn’t know he could trust.

Gran Gran worked quietly, putting a salve on the horrific burn before covering it with clean bandages. She quietly checked him over for other injuries, informing Sokka of the bruises on his chest and ribs, as well as the not-insignificant bump on his head. Whoever this was, he’d apparently been in one hell of a fight.

Gran Gran sighed as she finished and sat back from her patient. “He needs more help than he can get here.”

Sokka tilted his head. “How bad?”

Gran Gran gestured. “Unless he has a healing bender take care of it, he’ll be blind in that eye, and probably lose some of his hearing in the ear as well. Even with the best healers in the world, the scar will make his eye a permanent squint. The fever he’s got is because of the burn, and until it’s healed, he’ll likely be very tired. Definitely not a threat, given how weak he’ll likely be when he wakes up.”

Sokka nodded. He could work with that. “And when do you think he’ll wake up?”

Gran Gran shrugged. “Probably within a few hours.”

Sokka grunted in acknowledgement. “You should go take care of whatever you need to, Gran Gran. I’ll keep an eye on him. Just make sure someone is within shouting distance, in case I need something.” His grandmother nodded, slipping out of the room and allowing the cloth to once again act as a door for the room. Making sure that the fire had enough fuel for warmth and light, Sokka settled down to wait. He didn’t have anywhere else that he needed to be.

*********

In the remnants of a shattered glacier, a large golden eye snapped open.

Druk was alone. His _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ was gone from his grip. Druk’s eyes swept his surroundings. So he had made it to _ice-cold-ever-winter-lands_ before he’d fallen. But where was his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko?_ He was no longer in Druk’s claws, nor was he laying on the cold ice nearby.

Druk growled low in his throat, his nostrils flaring as he searched for a scent. His head snapped up as he found three. One was his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ , but the other two were _stranger-unknown-not-of-mine_. His lips pulled back in a _snarl-threat-show-anger_. The _stranger-unknown-not-of-mine-thieves_ had taken his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_.

The dragon got to his feet before launching himself into the air with a powerful leap and a downward sweep of his wings. He would find the _stranger-unknown-not-of-mine-thieves_ and retrieve his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_. He would teach these _foolish-run-hide-prey_ why they should never steal from a dragon.


	8. Questions

Sokka’s head jerked upwards as he heard the roar. Next to him, the unbandaged eye of the stranger snapped open. He gasped, trying to sit up before falling back down with a groan. Sokka tensed, holding his club at the ready. He wasn’t sure what this stranger might try and do, and even though Gran Gran said he’d be weak, Sokka wasn’t going to take any chances.

The roar sounded again, and the stranger’s eye finally fell on Sokka. His gaze swept up and down the other boy before he tried and failed to get up again. “Druk-” His arm gave out and he collapsed back onto the furs with a groan.

Sokka frowned. He couldn’t think of any words that started with ‘druk’ and he found himself really hoping this guy wasn’t delirious. He really didn’t need to deal with that right now on top of whatever terrifying-sounding monster was apparently near the village. “Hey, buddy, you need to lay still. You’re hurt pretty badly, you know.” The stranger’s gaze snapped back to him, and Sokka shivered when he realized the boy’s eye was gold. So he was from the Fire Nation after all. Now if he could just figure out which side of the war the guy was on…

He was pulled out of his own thoughts by the stranger speaking. The guy’s voice was completely hoarse. It sounded like he’d blown it out shouting and hadn’t had anything to drink since. “Who are you? Where’s Druk?” At the sound of another roar, his gaze flicked towards the ceiling. “Ah. He’s up there.”

Sokka froze as he processed the fact that not only was ‘Druk’ apparently a name, but it applied to whatever monster was making those terrifying roars outside. “You know what that is?”

The stranger’s gaze returned to him and he gave a short nod, visibly gritting his teeth through the pain. “Need to...get to him. He’s worried. Probably about me.” With that, the boy tried and failed yet again to sit up.

Sokka had a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. They’d found this guy in a glowing iceberg, and Sokka suddenly remembered the dark mass that had been below the waterline in the ice. “Was there...something frozen in that iceberg with you?”

The boy was visibly confused. “Frozen…? What are you-”

Before he could finish his question, the flap covering the door was yanked to the side and Katara sprinted into the room looking panicked. “Sokka! There’s some kind of huge spirit monster at the surface!” No sooner did she finish this information than the room shook and they heard the sound of a distant impact up above, followed by yet another angry roar.

This time, the boy managed to fight his way up into a sitting position, gasping in pain as he did so. “He’s looking...for me. I need to...get to him.” Considering the fact that the guy didn’t seem able to complete a full sentence without getting winded at the moment, Sokka seriously doubted he’d be able to get up to the surface on his own.

Sighing, Sokka picked the boy up again, trying his best not to hurt him. “If you can calm whatever that is down, then I’ll take you up. But we need to have a long conversation once this is dealt with.” Based on the creases in his face and his eye being squeezed tightly shut, Sokka was guessing the boy was in too much pain to argue with him as he carried him to the surface.

When his sister pulled back the cover and let Sokka see the creature outside, he found himself really wishing she hadn’t. He was greeted with the sight of a huge, snarling maw that was far too close for comfort. Sokka saw teeth that seemed longer than his entire torso, and they were bared directly at him. A low, ferocious growl emanated from the monster, and Sokka tensed, ready to spring back down the hole and just hope this thing went away.

Then the boy in his arms reached out, putting a hand on the creature’s nose.

The growling stopped as the boy started rubbing the thing’s nose. The snout unwrinkled as the snarl relaxed into a much more neutral expression. Sokka felt puffs of air as it sniffed at him and the boy in his arms. He really hoped they didn’t smell very tasty.

By contrast, the stranger seemed unworried by the huge creature that could probably eat him in one bite. He made a valiant effort at keeping his voice level, although some tightness from pain still crept in. “Easy, Druk. It’s ok. I’m safe.”

Sokka watched in amazement as the red behemoth settled down with a satisfied snort, and he finally was able to get a better look at it. It was covered in bright red scales, with a white ridge running down its spine all the way to its tail. There was some kind of leather attached to its back that looked suspiciously to Sokka like a saddle, and sprouting from either side of it were... _Oh, spirits, are those wings?_

That last observation finally made it sink in for Sokka that the golden eyes currently surveying him and his sister belonged to a dragon. And not only was this dragon huge, but it apparently was very attached to the stranger that he and Katara had found in an iceberg. The stranger that they didn’t know which side of the war he was on. Sokka’s stomach sank. This was going to be a nightmare to sort out.

Unfortunately, getting answers didn’t turn out to be an easy task. It was pretty clear that the stranger, whoever he was, really needed to be laying down somewhere warm to try and recover some of his strength. But it was also clear to Sokka and Katara that he needed to be kept close enough to the dragon that it wouldn’t get angry again. And fitting an entire dragon down in the village’s caverns wasn’t going to happen.

In the end, Katara whipped up a half-buried igloo on the surface, making sure to do it out of sight of the stranger just in case. She hoped that the fear of a huge scaled lizard would prevent anyone from coming to investigate if they spotted it. She grabbed furs and blankets, arranging them inside and having Sokka lay the stranger down as she set up a fire. The dragon curled around the igloo, one of its large golden eyes peering in the doorway at where the stranger lay.

Eventually the siblings both settled down, their eyes fixed on the stranger. It was Sokka who broke the silence. “Okay, explanation time. Start with which side of the war you’re on, and we’ll go from there.”

The stranger blinked, his forehead creasing in confusion. “War? What are you talking about?” The siblings exchanged a glance. Did that mean he was neutral, or was his head injury worse than Gran Gran had made it sound? Before they could ask him anything else, the boy sighed. “Look, the last thing I remember was trying to save a kid from a snake weasel of a noble before catching a face full of fire. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in your cave or whatever it was.”

Katara’s head snapped up at that. “So you aren’t on the Fire Nation’s side!” She turned to Sokka. “None of the nobles have turned against the Fire Lord. If he was attacked by one, then that means he’s not with them. I told you he wasn’t going to hurt us, Sokka!” She turned back to the boy with a smile. “So did you run away from the Fire Nation? Or are you just from their colonies and escaped into the Earth Kingdom?”

Sokka sighed. “Katara, we have more important things to ask him than that.” He turned back to the boy, looking him over. “Let’s start with something simple. What’s your name?”

*********

Zuko was very, very confused. He’d woken up in what looked like an ice cave on a bed of furs next to a boy he didn’t know. He could guess that he was probably at one of the Water Tribes based on what he’d seen, but he had no idea how he’d gotten here. The last thing he remembered was shoving Aang out of the way and then blinding, white-hot pain. Had Druk flown him here while he was unconscious?

And then he came to everything he’d heard and been asked since regaining consciousness. He hadn’t heard about any sort of war in the Water Tribes recently. And what was all that about nobles turning against the Fire Lord? Of course none of them had! Why would anyone turn against his dad?

Well, anyone except Shoze, that is. 

But based on her reaction, it seemed like this girl, Katara if he’d heard right, was under the impression that rebelling against the Fire Lord was a good thing. And the fact that the boy next to her wasn’t correcting her on this idea made Zuko very nervous indeed. One thing was certain, there was no way Zuko was admitting who he really was until he knew just what in the world was going on.

The other boy, who looked similar enough to Katara to be her brother and Zuko believed was named Sokka, crossed his arms, waiting for Zuko to answer. He nervously cleared his throat, deciding on the most generic name he could think of. Katara had mentioned the Earth Kingdom, and Zuko knew there was one name their two nations shared. “Uh...I’m Lee.”

He got a friendly smile in return. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Katara, and this is my brother Sokka.”

Sokka waved off the greeting. “Yeah, yeah, that’s great. Now how in the name of spirits do you have a dragon?”

Zuko shifted. This might get complicated, especially if they knew anything about the Fire Nation royal family. He decided to try and keep it as vague as possible. “I found him in the woods when I was just a kid. I raised him, and he sort of got...attached. He probably panicked when he woke up wherever you found me and I wasn’t there.”

Sokka grunted. “That’s another thing. Are you a waterbender? Or did you just really get on one’s bad side and they made an entire iceberg around you?”

Zuko stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

Katara spoke up. “We were out in a canoe when we found you frozen in an iceberg. It cracked open and you fell out.”

Zuko found himself questioning how an entire iceberg just cracked open by itself, but it seemed like he had bigger problems. “I honestly have no idea. Like I told you, the last thing I remember was a face full of fire. There wasn’t a waterbender around for miles, that I know of.” 

Katara frowned. “Icebergs don’t just pop out of nowhere.”

He shrugged. “I never saw any icebergs, so I’ll just have to take your word for it that there was one.”

Sokka frowned. “You’re at the South Pole. There’s icebergs everywhere.”

Zuko sighed. “Except the last thing I remember, I was at the Southern Air Temple.” He frowned as he saw both siblings shiver at his words. What was going on around here?

Katara shifted. “Why were you at that awful place?” 

“Awful? The temple is beautiful. If that snake weasel of a noble hadn’t been there, I would have had a perfect trip.”

Katara and Sokka glanced at each other. “Why was a Fire Nation noble at an abandoned temple? Why were _you_ there?”

Zuko felt alarm bells start ringing in his head. Abandoned? The temple was very inhabited and full of life. Either these siblings were crazy, or there was something very strange indeed going on. He shifted, debating on how he should handle this. Maybe he could see if they would give him more information? He decided to go for the noncommittal answer. “It wasn’t abandoned when I was there.”

Katara stiffened. “Someone moved in? Who? Aren’t there a bunch of evil spirits there from the attack? I heard that the Fire Nation didn’t even give the monks funeral rites because they wanted the place to be haunted.”

Zuko felt a chill run down his spine. What on earth was she talking about? Did he actually want to know?

Sokka grunted. “Still doesn’t explain why you were there. Or how you got here.”

Zuko saw a chance for a change of topic and latched onto it. “Druk probably picked me up and flew me once I was hurt. I don’t really remember, since I sort of passed out.”

Sokka nodded. “Yeah. Massive burns and a head injury tend to do that to people. But why did he fly this way and not back to wherever it is you’re from?”

Zuko sensed the hidden question of just where he was from, but he decided to avoid that for now. “My guess is that he remembered there are healing waterbenders at the poles, so he picked the one that was closer.”

Both siblings stiffened, their eyes darting to the doorway where the dragon could still be seen. “Wait, he can understand us? He’s…?”

“Intelligent?” Zuko nodded. “Very. Druk is smarter than a lot of humans I’ve met. Dragons are the children of Agni, after all. Would you expect the child of a Great Spirit to be stupid?”

Katara shifted. “I guess not. It’s just...unexpected.” She sighed. “But if you were hoping to find a healing waterbender here, you’re out of luck. All of the southern waterbenders either picked a side in the war or had their side picked for them. If you want a healer, you’ll need to try the Northern Water Tribe. Last we heard they’re still neutral.”

Zuko frowned. There it was again, that mention of some kind of war that Zuko had never heard of. And not only that, but it was a war that the Fire Nation was supposedly involved in, and had apparently been going for long enough to completely remove waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribes. 

He needed to get answers, and he certainly wasn’t going to get them here. 

Zuko sighed. “Well, I guess Druk and I will head north, then. Thanks for your help.”

Katara shot to her feet. “Wait! Take us with you!”

Zuko jerked back in surprise at her sudden movement. “What? Why?”

Sokka jumped in, cutting his sister off from whatever she’d been about to say. “Our tribe doesn’t exactly have any warriors left in the village. They left to join the war almost six years ago. Hiding has helped us survive, but it won’t work forever. We need help, and the Northern Water Tribe might agree to send us some.”

Zuko glanced between the siblings in front of him, noticing Sokka’s look that silenced his sister. They were hiding something. There was some other reason they wanted to go north. Then again, Zuko wasn’t exactly eager to pry. It might prompt them to try and look more into his own past, and he really didn’t want that. Maybe he could find a way to separate with them on the way to the North Pole, or at least send word to his father where he was and try to figure out what was going on.


	9. Answers

The more Sokka thought about it, the more his excuse to Lee actually seemed like a good idea. If they could get even a few warriors to come help out, it would make the village so much safer. Hiding had worked for a while, but Sokka didn’t want to press their luck. It wouldn’t work forever. 

Admittedly, the idea had originally come as simply the first thing he could think of to tell Lee. Sokka wasn’t sure what, but it was definite that Lee was hiding things. He’d avoided questions and even the ones he’d answered had been vague. One thing was certain, there was no way Sokka was letting him figure out that Katara was a waterbender. The guy’s dragon was their fast way to the North Pole and that was all. They’d probably separate once they got there. 

As they started gathering supplies over the course of the next few days, Lee looked around and frowned. “Where are my swords?”

Sokka looked up. “Swords? As in, more than one?”

Lee nodded. “Yeah, I had two.”

Sokka winced. “Sorry, you only had one when we found you.”

Lee looked stricken. Then he sighed in relief as Sokka pulled out his sheath, both halves of the sword still inside it. “Oh, thank the spirits. You did find both.”

Sokka frowned. “What? This is only one.”

Lee shook his head, strapping on the sheath and drawing his sword before seemingly splitting it in half with a grin. “No, it’s not.”

Sokka stared, taken completely by surprise. “How…?”

Lee laughed. “They’re dao. Also known as dual swords,” he added, seeing Sokka’s blank look. “They’re technically two halves of the same blade.” He put them together again before returning them to his sheath. “I’m just glad I didn’t lose them. My teacher gave them to me when she declared me a master.”

Sokka blinked at him. “You’re a master swordsman?”

Lee nodded. “I am. Took a long time to get there, but I managed.”

Sokka found himself feeling rather conflicted at that. On the one hand, it meant potential trouble for them. If Lee decided to try and turn against them or cause trouble, it would make dealing with him that much more difficult, even with Katara’s help. But on the other hand…

“Could you teach me?”

Lee looked up, tilting his head. “Teach you dao?”

Sokka shrugged. He wasn’t sure about being able to wield two swords at once. “Honestly, just any tips you want to pass my way. I’m pretty good with a club or a whalebone machete, and my dad told me I was a natural with my boomerang before he left.” Sokka tried to shake off the twinge of sadness at being left behind and missing his dad. 

Lee winced sympathetically, seeming to fill in the gaps for himself. “I can give you pointers, if nothing else. Not sure if I’d be able to actually spar with you for a while, considering…” He trailed off, gesturing to the bandages covering half of his face. 

Sokka nodded. He could work with that. And maybe that would help him learn how to fight against Fire Nation style swordsmen. Even if he could probably never beat a firebender, he still wanted to help keep his tribe safe. 

And secretly, so deep inside that he almost didn’t even realize it himself, Sokka found himself hoping that they would find his dad during their trip. Hakoda had led their fleet north six years ago to harass the Fire Navy’s supply lines to its colonies in the hopes that it would force the nation to withdraw its hold. 

Unfortunately, Sokka also knew that other tribes had sent _their_ fleets to aid the Fire Nation. Spirits, this whole war was a mess. With three nations fighting, and two of those three in a simultaneous civil war, everything was chaos. Sokka just hoped that he could find a way to get his family and his tribe through it safely. But to do that, they needed help. If there was another attack like the one six years ago, their tribe wouldn’t survive.

*********

Sokka had to admit, climbing onto the dragon’s back was the most terrifying thing he’d done in his life. Just packing their supplies into the saddle had been scary enough. Sokka had done most of it, since Lee still wasn’t up for very much heavy lifting. Or even much moving, for that matter.

Now the time had finally come to leave. Which meant that he and his sister had to strap themselves to the back of a giant lizard that Sokka still wasn’t fully convinced didn’t want to eat them. But the tribe was relying on them, and so Sokka swallowed his fear and climbed up the dragon’s leg. The dragon stayed still as he reached down, helping his sister get Lee up onto the saddle before she followed after him. Sokka double and triple checked all of the straps that Lee claimed would hold them onto the saddle, even if they were asleep. 

“Honestly,” Lee said, evidently trying to be reassuring, “these straps have even kept me on when Druk has flipped upside down.”

Sokka felt his stomach lurch at the thought, and Katara looked rather queasy. “No upside down, please,” she practically begged. 

Lee nodded. “Of course not. That was an emergency, anyway.” He didn’t elaborate any further, leaving Sokka silently wondering exactly what kind of emergency would require flying upside down on a dragon. Upon consideration, he found that he really didn’t want to know. 

However, true to Lee’s word, the straps kept Druk’s three passengers secure as the dragon launched into the sky. Sokka got one last glance back, swallowing hard as he saw every member of his tribe up above the surface, waving him and his sister goodbye. He only hoped that they wouldn’t be gone for too long. He kept his eyes on them until the dragon’s rising altitude took them out of sight. 

Sokka wasn’t quite sure how long they flew. He kept up quiet conversation with Katara to pass the time. Lee seemed to be drifting in and out of sleep, although that wasn’t exactly a surprise. He’d been doing that ever since he’d woken up to begin with. Gran Gran had claimed his low energy was due to his injuries, and Sokka had seen no evidence to the contrary. 

It was quite some time later that an island came into view in the distance and Druk started descending. Sokka frowned, gently nudging Lee. The other boy twitched awake, glancing back. “What?”

Sokka gestured. “Why are we landing?”

Lee looked around, yawning. “Druk knows to pace himself for long flights. We’ve been flying for quite a while now, and this is the first land we’ve seen. He probably wants a break, and to find something to eat. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to do the same.”

Sokka nodded. That made sense. He imagined it would be rather difficult to eat while flying on a dragon. And maybe this way he could catch some fresh food and save their supplies for when they might not have any other options. 

Their landing was surprisingly light, in Sokka’s opinion. He had half-expected the dragon to come down with a teeth-rattling crash, considering how heavy he imagined the thing was. On the contrary, however, Druk landed with hardly any impact at all. 

Sokka slid off Druk’s back, taking a wary look around as Katara helped Lee down. They had landed on a sandy beach, which Sokka had only seen once in his life when Dad had taken him on a trip to learn how to sail. He shoved away the memory of happier times. That had been back when Mom was still alive, and thinking about it for too long hurt. 

He returned his gaze to their surroundings. He could see fish occasionally jumping out of the water, some of them terrifyingly large. He wondered if Druk would be able to catch one, or if the dragon would share with the rest of them if he did. Maybe Sokka should try his luck in the woods bordering the beach instead. Surely there was something there he could hunt for them to eat. 

His attention was caught by Lee, who seemed to be talking to the dragon and convincing him to leave to find food. Katara was working on setting up their tents and digging out a fire pit. They’d spend a few hours here to eat and rest. And more importantly, Druk would do the same. 

Sokka really didn’t want to see the dragon when he was tired or hungry. 

Finally seeming to have been convinced by something Lee said, Sokka watched Druk give a satisfied snort before leaping into the air and spreading his wings. Lee settled down with a relieved sigh. “He’ll be back in a while to rest. I think he wants to get something to eat first.”

Sokka nodded. He’d figured as much. “I should probably do something similar. I’ll see what I can find in the woods for us to eat. You two should stay here and rest.”

With that decided, and with his sister’s acknowledging nod, Sokka drew his machete and headed out into the woods. He really hoped there was some kind of easy-to-catch animal that he could find. At the South Pole he’d have no problems, but he’d never been here before. He had no idea what might be in these woods. 

Sokka shrugged off the worry and forged ahead, making sure to keep track of which way he’d come from. He perked up as he heard leaves rustling not far away. That sounded like an animal to him, which meant he might have found them some food almost instantly. Sokka grinned, holding his machete a little higher as he crept forward. He barely noticed himself muttering under his breath, “Come on, dinner.”

Then there was another rustle of leaves, and something impacted Sokka from behind, slamming him into the ground. He cried out, scrambling away before rolling, trying to get back to his feet. He heard a _ting_ behind him as something metal impacted the rock he’d just been laying on. He whirled around, lashing out with his machete. All he managed to catch was a blur of green and white diving out of the way.

There was a glint of golden metal Sokka caught out of the corner of his eye. Spinning quickly, he parried the...fan? Someone was attacking him...with metal fans?

He quickly found that he didn’t really have time to analyze the situation as more fans started lashing out at him. When one grazed his arm, he found himself hissing in pain, noting the long scratch that had appeared. Apparently these fans were bladed.

Then something hit the back of his knees, and Sokka went down hard. 

He groaned as he felt a boot swiftly impact his ribs, knocking all of the air out of him. His machete was yanked out of his grip, and his arms were bound painfully behind him. A bag was shoved over Sokka’s head, obscuring his vision, before he felt himself pulled roughly to his feet. 

When he felt the stone and dirt under his feet give way to sand, Sokka knew that Katara and Lee had been found too. This was confirmed when he was shoved roughly into a sitting position next to two other people. Then the bag was yanked off his head, and Sokka squinted at the sudden change in light. 

When his eyes adjusted, he found himself staring at a group of warriors, all clad in what looked like thick green dresses with leather armor over the top. Each wore a simple gold headpiece and carried a pair of metal fans. Their faces were all painted white, with red accents over their eyes. 

Sokka blinked in surprise when one, a girl who seemed younger than some of the others but with a slightly fancier headpiece, stepped forward with a frown on her face. It deepened to a scowl at his reaction. “What? Surprised a bunch of _girls_ took you down?”

Sokka frowned. Where had that come from? “No. Just surprised that someone who looks my age seems to be the one in charge.”

Beside him, Lee let out a soft snort, and the girl’s eyes snapped to him. “What’s so funny, Bandage Face?”

Lee didn’t react to the name at all, just smiling softly. “Only an idiot would think you were just ‘a bunch of girls’. You’re warriors from Kyoshi Island.”

Sokka thought the name sounded vaguely familiar, but he had no idea why. However, the group in front of them had frozen before the grip in charge surged forward, hauling Lee up by his shirt. “How the hell do you know that?!”

Lee was visibly confused at her reaction. “Maybe because you’re all dressed like Avatar Kyoshi used to…? Also, my swordmaster was from Kyoshi Island, and she showed me her old gear.”

The girl snarled, slapping him across his face. Sokka flinched at the harsh cry of pain that escaped Lee’s lips. She had slapped him across the burned side of his face. The girl’s face was twisted with anger. “Liar! No one has come to or left Kyoshi Island since the war started. Now tell me who you are! How did you get past the Unagi?”

Sokka didn’t know what an Unagi was, but the way she said it made him really not eager to find out. Katara spoke up, then, trying to settle things down. “Look, we didn’t even know this was Kyoshi Island. We just wanted to stop and rest for a few hours before we go on our way. We’re trying to head north.”

One of the older warriors behind the girl snorted. “Of course. Young blood for the war effort. We should just feed them to the Unagi and be done with it.”

Sokka didn’t like where this was going. He especially didn’t like the considering look the lead warrior had on her face at the idea of feeding them to something. Quickly he took stock of their options. Lee was on the ground, having been dropped unceremoniously after being hit and seeming to be in too much pain to get up. Katara was tied up next to him, but if he could get her hands free, she might be able to hold off these warriors long enough for them to get away. 

Then he realized that their means of transportation wasn’t here. And it occurred to him how unhappy said transportation would probably be when he arrived to see Lee tied up and in pain. Sokka gulped. Hopefully Druk could differentiate enough not to attack him and his sister. 

Sokka was broken out of his thoughts as the head warrior spoke up again, her eyes sweeping over them. “Where are your friends?”

Katara frowned. “There’s just the three of us. That’s it.”

Another warrior spoke up. “Then where’s your boat? We would have heard the Unagi break it.”

The head warrior stepped forward, and Sokka winced as she dragged Lee up by his hair-knot. Flicking open a fan with the soft sound of metal, she held its blade close to his throat. “Tell us everything we want to know, or Fire Nation here will be the first one to die.”

Suddenly the wind shifted, the sky seeming to darken as a harsh wind swept across the beach. Lee’s entire body stiffened, his unbandaged eye snapping open. Sokka saw the bright blue, almost white glow filling the socket before a sand whirl whipped around him...and then Lee was gone. 

Standing in his place was the tallest woman Sokka had ever seen. Her clothing and makeup were an exact mirror of the warriors who’d captured them, with the exception of her headpiece being far more elaborate. She easily straightened, breaking out of the head warrior’s now-slack grip with ease as the girl stared at her. 

The woman stepped away, looking over the group with a frown. “And here I thought I trained a group of warriors, not murderers.”

At her words, every warrior knelt as one, bowing their heads to her. One of the elder warriors spoke. “Avatar Kyoshi. Your spirit honors us with its presence. We had no idea that boy was a shaman.” 

Sokka felt a dull jolt of understanding go through him at the word. Dad had told him what it meant in the Earth Kingdom. So Lee was a spirit-speaker? That started to explain how he wound up in an iceberg, if a water spirit had gotten itself involved. 

Sokka’s brain belatedly made connections as he processed this. So that was why the name Kyoshi had sounded so familiar. Avatar stories were really more of his sister’s interest than his own, but he still felt he should have recognized the name sooner. And looking at the tall, imposing woman, she certainly seemed to fit Avatar Kyoshi’s description in the stories. 

Kyoshi snorted softly. “This boy is far more than just a shaman. He is hope, a light finally returned to the world. So tell me why you were about to snuff him out.” It was phrased as a command, not a question. 

The head warrior gulped softly before speaking. “It’s our job to protect Kyoshi Island. These three are intruders. We were trying to find out where the rest of their allies are.”

Kyoshi frowned at the girl. “Your actions were cruel. Capturing them is understandable. Questioning them is understandable. But striking one already injured simply for giving you an answer you didn’t like is unacceptable. This is your only warning. Do something like this again, and I may see fit to remove you from my warriors.”

The girl visibly flinched, ducking her head. “I’m sorry, Avatar. But he was lying! No one has left the island in a hundred years.”

Kyoshi sighed. “What is your name, warrior?”

She looked up. “Suki, ma’am.”

Kyoshi nodded. “Then hear me well, Suki, and explain it to anyone necessary. This boy was not lying.” She held up a hand to stop Suki’s protest. “However, that doesn’t mean you’re wrong either. As these two,” she gestured to Sokka and Katara, “can tell you later, they found this boy frozen in an iceberg.”

Katara nodded. “It’s true. We’re trying to get Lee to the North Pole to find him a healer.”

Here Kyoshi smiled. “Ah. That would be the only outright lie he has told since awakening. His name is not Lee.” 

Sokka felt his stomach sink. Why did he lie? “Then what _is_ his name?”

Kyoshi sighed. “That is for him to decide to tell you. Or not. I only tell you as much as I do because I need you to pass it on to him. He will not remember my visit when he wakes up.” She drew herself up to her full, and considerable, height. “I stand before you in the body of my next life. The boy you have met as Lee is the Avatar. He was born of the Fire Nation over a century ago, and was frozen in an iceberg before he was ever alerted of his station.”

Sokka felt his blood go cold. Lee...was the Avatar. The _Fire Nation_ Avatar. Who had apparently been frozen since before the war began. No wonder the guy hadn’t made any sense. But whose side would he take in the war? That was the question that made Sokka very nervous indeed. 

Suki shifted then, looking up at Kyoshi. “Avatar Kyoshi, does your return mean that we should no longer be neutral in the war? Whose side should we take?”

Kyoshi shook her head. “I haven’t returned, Suki. I have reincarnated. And whether you choose to support the Avatar, or oppose him, that is entirely your decision.” With that, there was another sand whirl around her, and when it vanished, Lee’s unconscious body dropped to the ground.


	10. Kyoshi Island

When Zuko slowly drifted back into consciousness, he had to fight back the urge to groan in pain. The entire left side of his face ached horribly. Throbbing pulses of pain shot through what he knew was a terrible burn, synching themselves with his heartbeat. He really wished he hadn’t woken up, and a part of him almost just drifted right back into unconsciousness.

Then he remembered what had happened before he passed out. They had been captured. Apparently the island that Druk had set them down on before going off to hunt had been Kyoshi Island, and they were far less welcoming to visitors than Master Shiva had always made it sound. But if they were being held prisoner, why did the bed under him feel so comfortable?

Zuko’s eye snapped open as his brain belatedly made a connection. Druk. He wasn’t where Druk had left him, and the last time that had happened, it really hadn’t ended well. He surged into a sitting position, intent on getting up and trying to reason with his captors. Even if they had taken him prisoner, Zuko didn’t want Druk to kill the Kyoshi Warriors.

Pain lanced through his head at the sudden change in position, and Zuko groaned. He clutched his head hoping the room would stop spinning. Then a gentle voice spoke up. “You really should lay still, you know. Seems like you’ve had a rough few days.”

Sinking back a little on the pillow behind him, Zuko finally managed to get his vision to come back into focus. Sitting in a chair against the far wall was one of the warriors who had captured them. Not the head warrior, he was grateful to notice, but one of the older ones who had largely been quiet during the interrogation on the beach. He blinked when he registered that they weren’t in a cell, but rather a relatively comfortable room. Maybe Kyoshi Island didn’t have a designated jail and just used spare rooms to hold prisoners?

The warrior seemed to notice his confusion and gave him a small smile. “Sorry about the mess earlier on the beach. We haven’t had outsiders come here in living memory, so when we saw you, we attacked first and asked questions later.”

Zuko grunted, his voice rough when he finally spoke. “Your questions weren’t exactly gentle.”

Her face grew sad. “We...were made aware of that. I am sorry. But that’s why I was here waiting for you to wake up. So that we could figure a few things out.” She smiled. “My name is Leyi. How about yours?”

“Lee.”

Leyi shook her head. “Not that one. Your real name.”

Zuko felt his stomach drop. How did she know that wasn’t his real name? Maybe she was just bluffing? “What are you talking about?”

Leyi hummed. “Kyoshi kind of ruined your secret. She told us that Lee wasn’t your real name, and that you were from the Fire Nation. Although the second one is kind of obvious, thanks to your eye color.”

He was missing something. This lady wasn’t making any sense. “Avatar Kyoshi has been dead for-”

“Nearly a hundred and sixteen years, yeah. I know. Her spirit showed up and gave us a talking-to.”

Zuko stared. “What are you talking about? Avatar Kyoshi died when I was a baby.”

Leyi winced. “Ah. I suppose that’s one way to bring it up. She mentioned something about you being frozen in an iceberg…?”

Zuko shrugged. “That’s what Katara and Sokka told me. I don’t remember it at all.” He glanced around, remembering where he was. “Where are they?” Maybe he could get this lady to tell him something other than crazy, impossible ramblings. How did you mess up the date of the Avatar’s death by a hundred years?

“Katara is talking with our healer about how to take care of that burn of yours. Sokka is on the beach. Something about a friend of yours being upset that you were gone?” She shrugged. “Suki is with him to make sure your friend’s boat doesn’t get destroyed by the Unagi.” Her statements left Zuko with so many questions that he didn’t know which one to pick first. Leyi seemed to notice his confusion. “Suki is the head warrior of the Kyoshi Warriors. We have ways of calming the Unagi, otherwise it would go after our fishing boats too.”

Zuko frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that head warrior being out with Sokka, considering how rough she had been before. His face was still throbbing from where she’d hit him. But if Druk still hadn’t shown up, then he supposed it was good that someone was waiting for him. Hopefully the dragon wouldn’t panic too much and would listen to his explanation.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t notice Leyi eyeing him curiously until she spoke. “So, did you waterbend your way past the Unagi? Is that how you got here?”

Zuko blinked up at her. “What? I’m not a waterbender. And what’s an Unagi?” She had mentioned earlier that it was obvious he was Fire Nation. Why would she think he was a waterbender? 

Leyi just smiled. “The Unagi is a giant sea serpent who guards Kyoshi Island. It’s kept us safe the entire war. Nobody has ever gotten past it in a hundred years.” She gave him a significant look. “Not until you.”

Zuko frowned. “I know someone who left Kyoshi Island around ten years ago, though.”

Leyi looked him up and down before seeming to understand. “That’s that swordmaster you mentioned, right?”

Zuko nodded. “Master Shiva taught me everything I know.”

Leyi stiffened. “Master...Shiva. You’re absolutely certain her name was Shiva?”

Zuko tilted his head. “Yeah, why?” Why was this warrior starting to look at him with something akin to awe in her face?

“There has only ever been one master swordswoman from Kyoshi Island named Shiva. She was one of the greatest head warriors that the Kyoshi Warriors ever had, but she decided she wanted to learn more than she could on our island, so she left to travel the world. We have records of some of her letters home. And based on those...she only ever took one student.”

Zuko’s blood turned to ice. He hadn’t realized Master Shiva had been so well-known on the island, or that she had sent word home about him. He had just given himself away without meaning to. How would she react? Would they try to hold him for ransom from his father? Which side of this supposed war was Kyoshi Island on?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Leyi sitting back with a soft exhale. “Damn, the spirits really did a number on your life, huh? Royalty, Avatar, and frozen in an iceberg to boot. That’s some real tough luck.”

Zuko found himself starting to wonder if he’d received another head injury, or if this woman had instead. “What?”

Leyi gave him a wry smile. “I told you that Avatar Kyoshi gave us a visit. Or rather, her spirit visited. Through your body.” She looked at him, as if expecting that to make everything make sense.

Instead, Zuko was just more confused. “But I’m not a sage.”

Leyi grunted. “I’m guessing that’s what you Fire Nation call shamans. And no, Kyoshi said that you weren’t one.” She sighed, muttering under her breath. “Damn it, Suki, why’d you give me the hard job explaining all this?”

Zuko huffed, getting frustrated. “Just start from the beginning and spit it out, then!”

She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. “Alright. Just rip the bandage off, huh? I can do that.” She sat forward, watching him. “Avatar Kyoshi took over your body on the beach, gave us all a rather stern talking-to about how you’d been treated, and said that you were a hope that we had been about to snuff out. She said you were her reincarnation as the Fire Nation Avatar, and that a hundred years ago you’d been frozen in an iceberg before you could be told what you were.”

Leyi sat back, crossing her arms. “And now, based on who you said your swordmaster was, that’s proof she was right. Shiva left Kyoshi Island a hundred and ten years ago to travel the world. Shortly after she departed, she was contacted by the Fire Nation royal family and went to teach one of the princes swordplay. The younger one, specifically. Supposedly he died young, just a teenager, and no one is quite clear on how. I’ve never seen a record of his name. He’s usually referred to in history books as the Dragon Prince. Or should I say,” she glanced at him, “ _you’re_ usually referred to as the Dragon Prince. Your Highness.”

Zuko’s head was spinning. It was impossible. What she was saying was just...impossible. He couldn’t be the Avatar. He’d struggled to even firebend, there was no way he had the other elements too. The Avatar was supposed to be a master of all four elements. He wasn’t even a master at fire.

Then Shiva’s words from all those years ago drifted back to him, niggling at the corner of his brain. _“Didn’t you ever wonder why Avatar Kyoshi used those war fans of hers? Yes, they were a gift from her family, but also they helped her hone her bending. She struggled with it when she was first starting out.”_

He shoved the thought away. No, it couldn’t be true. Because if it was…

Zuko swallowed hard. If Leyi was right about him being the Avatar...then it meant she could be right about everything. The war he’d never heard of, why Katara thought the Southern Air Temple was abandoned, why Suki had insisted that no one had left Kyoshi Island in a hundred years…

Zuko’s vision blurred as tears welled up in his eye. A hundred years. So much could change. So many people didn’t even live that long. Which meant his family...everyone he knew…

The tears fell, streaking down Zuko’s face and hitting his blanket.

*********

Leyi winced when she saw the tears, getting up and slowly approaching the boy laying in the bed. Damn, she hadn’t meant to make the kid cry. She supposed that everything she’d told him had probably been a bit too much to take in all at once. Gently, she sat down next to him and put a comforting hand on his arm. She just had to handle this the way she helped her brother out with his kids sometimes. She could do this. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m sorry, that was all a bit sudden, wasn’t it?”

He looked up at her, and beneath the giant bandage covering half his face, it suddenly struck Leyi just how _young_ this kid was. How young they all were. She and the other warriors had attacked a group of kids that were maybe Suki’s age, with absolutely no evidence that they were a threat. Disgust coiled in her stomach at their actions. No wonder Kyoshi had been so angry with them.

She shoved the thought away for now. It wasn’t going to help her here. Meanwhile the boy in front of her looked like he was trying desperately to stop crying, without much success. Her face softened, and she nudged him gently. “Hey, do you want to talk about it? That can help sometimes, when you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

He took a shuddering breath. When he spoke, his voice shook. “A hundred years...M-my dad...my b-brother…M-master Sh-Shiva...”

Leyi winced. _Damn. Pretty much everyone this kid would have known is dead now. Spirits, I’m the biggest idiot on the island_. Then she remembered with a jolt exactly _who_ this kid was. He was a prince. And when he said his dad and brother... _Fire Lord Sozin. And Fire Lord Azulon_. “Hey, kid?”

He scrubbed his face roughly, looking up at her miserably. Leyi felt her heart breaking. She had to tell him, and hope that it might make him feel a little better. “I’m sorry about your dad and Shiva. But...it’s not all how you think. Your brother...Fire Lord Azulon is still alive.”

The kid wiped away fresh tears upon learning about his father. “Y-you’re sure Azulon is still alive? He’d be…”

“A hundred and eighteen, and still going strong from what we’ve heard.” Leyi nodded. Occasionally they managed to intercept a few messenger hawks and find out news on the world outside their island. “Yeah, he’s still alive. He’s been Fire Lord for around...forty years or so?”

The boy next to her looked like he was trying to work through something. “So then...when Dad d-died-” His voice broke, unable to complete the sentence.

Leyi understood. “Fire Lord Sozin was a hundred and two years old when he passed away peacefully in his sleep.” She remembered how bitter some of the adults in the village had always seemed about that fact when she was younger. They always claimed that the man who had started the war deserved a worse end than he’d gotten. Not that she was going to tell this kid any of that.

Speaking of the kid, he was drying his face with a bit more success this time. “I-I have to go home. I have to see him. Azulon needs to know I’m alive.”

Leyi winced. “Uh, kid, that might be a bit more complicated than you think. The world has changed a lot in the hundred years you’ve been gone.”

He looked up at her. “Zuko.”

She blinked. That wasn’t the response she expected. “What?”

He shrugged. “My name is Zuko. You already figured out who I was. Knowing my name isn’t going to make a difference at this point.”

Leyi tilted her head. How had the prince of the Fire Nation ended up with such a common name as that? Then it hit her. Zuko was a common name in the Fire Nation _now_. But this kid was born well over a hundred years ago. Was he the reason it was a common name? Were there hundreds of kids all named after him?

Leyi’s head hurt. She had never felt more out of her depth in her life. 

She took a deep breath, trying to move past it for now. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Prince Zuko. But as I said, the world has changed a lot. There’s no way you’d be able to get into the Fire Nation now. Not with the blockade.”

Zuko frowned. “Blockade?”

Leyi nodded. That was at least something she knew a little more about. “Dozens of ships patrol the border of Fire Nation waters. Only their allies can get through. And there’s no way the Fleet Commander would believe that you’re a prince who supposedly died a century ago. Any ship you were on would be sunk before it got close.” She sighed. “You’re already in for a hard enough time getting up to the North Pole to get that eye treated. Until you’ve gotten that taken care of, you really don’t want to try running the biggest blockade in the world.”

She suppressed a shudder at the memory of what his eye looked like under those bandages. She’d been present when their healer, Gu Lo, had inspected it and changed the boy’s bandages. He had told them it was amazing that Zuko had even survived such an injury. Many lesser warriors had been killed by burns as bad as that in the past. As it stood, he needed to get to a trained water healer fast, or he risked some serious permanent consequences. 

Which explained why, even now, the residents of Kyoshi Island were packing supplies for the Avatar to take with him on his trip. Regardless of their still-uncertain stance in the war, the boy they had found was the reincarnation of Kyoshi, and the island remembered how much they owed to her. They would help this new Avatar on his journey to find a healer. And wait to hear which side of the conflict he chose. Already many of the younger warriors were urging the island to go to war. If Zuko chose a side, Kyoshi Island would stand behind him.

*********

Sokka was glad that his sister had volunteered to talk with the healer and find out how to take care of Lee’s burn. He really had no idea what he was doing when it came to taking care of injuries, and besides, it seemed like talking with a healer wasn’t exactly a situation that would put his sister in danger. Unfortunately for him, it meant that he was now waiting on a beach alone with an angry warrior waiting for a likely angrier dragon. Who he hadn’t told the girl existed yet.

Suki huffed, kicking at the bag of meat she’d brought with her. “How much longer is it going to be before this friend of yours gets here?”

Sokka shrugged. “Druk is Lee’s friend. I only met the two of them a few days ago. How should I know how long it’ll take him to find food and come back?” It felt weird calling him Lee after Kyoshi had told them it wasn’t his real name, but Sokka honestly couldn’t think of any better way to refer to him.

Suki stared at him. “You agreed to travel halfway around the world with someone you’d never met before?”

Sokka winced. When she put it that way, it didn’t sound like a terribly rational decision. “We needed to go to the North Pole anyway. Lee and Druk were our fastest way to get there.”

She huffed. “What was so important that you would risk something like that?”

Sokka hesitated for half a second before deciding to give her the same reason he’d given Lee. There was no way he was telling her Katara was a waterbender looking for training. “All our warriors left to join the war six years ago. My tribe has been basically hiding ever since. But it won’t work forever. Eventually we’re going to get found. And when we are, we’ll have no way to fight back. So Katara and I are going to the Northern Water Tribe to try and convince them to send us some help.”

Suki looked him over carefully. “You’re looking for warriors? What, I suppose you need someone to protect all those _helpless_ women and children?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Frowning, Sokka turned to her. “And the men whose wives left to fight too. Not every man in the tribe is a warrior. Some of the best warriors in my tribe have been women.” Spirits, Kela had been the first one to teach him how to use his boomerang. She was way better at it than his dad had been.

Suki blinked, brought up short. “Your tribe has women warriors?”

Sokka huffed. “Of course it does! It would be stupid to not let some of the people help who wanted to, just because they’re women. I know not every tribe is like that, but at least mine has some sense.” Frankly, he thought the tribes who didn’t let women fight were idiots. Why would they limit themselves like that?

Suki was staring at him. 

He shifted, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

The warrior shrugged, sunlight glinting off her headpiece. “I didn’t know that there were tribes like yours. The Earth Kingdom always insisted that women not be allowed to fight. It was one of the reasons Avatar Kyoshi founded the Kyoshi Warriors. To train us when no one else would.” She sighed. “It’s been part of the reason we’ve stayed out of the war for so long. Why bother offering help if you know it’ll be tossed right back in your face?”

Sokka frowned. “That’s stupid. If you want to help, you should help. Spirits know my tribe could use some.” The last part was muttered to himself. He hadn’t meant for her to actually hear it.

She did. “Are you asking us to help your tribe?”

Sokka’s head shot up. He’d asked nothing of the sort. “What?” The considering look she had on her face confused him a great deal. He didn’t think he’d asked her for anything at all.

Before he could get her to back up and tell him just what on earth she was talking about, Sokka saw a red glint on the horizon. His stomach sank as his nerves skyrocketed. He really hoped this wouldn’t end badly. “Oh, spirits. Druk is here.”

Suki surveyed the waters with a frown. “I don’t see any ships.”

Sokka shook his head, pointing at the red speck that grew larger and larger. “That’s Druk.”

*********

Druk’s belly was full of _prey-fish-easy-catch_ as he soared through the sky. In the distance he could see _small-land-water-around_ where he had left his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ with the _ice-snow-hatch-mates-Katara-and-Sokka_. He had been gone longer than he’d intended. Hopefully they wouldn’t want to leave soon. Druk wanted to rest before they set off again.

He frowned as the beach came into view. There were only two figures where there once had been three. Druk dove, seeing _ice-snow-Sokka_ without his _ice-snow-hatch-mate-Katara_. The other figure was _green-gold-painted-holds-like-hunter_. Druk growled. Where was his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_? 

_Ice-snow-Sokka_ stepped cautiously forward, _green-gold-painted-hunter-stranger_ just staring at Druk in _fear-and-awe-of-dragon-might_. Druk at least felt vindicated at that. _Green-gold-painted-hunter-stranger_ knew enough to fear him. Then _ice-snow-Sokka_ spoke, Druk’s attention snapping back to him.

“H-hey, Druk. I know Zuko’s not here right now, but that’s because we found someplace nicer to stay than just camping on the beach. We were waiting for you to come back so we could take you to him.”

Druk’s nostrils flared. _Ice-snow-Sokka_ and _green-gold-painted-hunter-stranger_ both smelled of _stink-of-prey-fear-human-scared_ , but neither had the scent of _lies-and-trickery-and-not-of-mine_. Druk snorted in satisfaction, lowering his head and giving _ice-snow-Sokka_ a nudge with his snout, prompting him to _lead-follow-to-unknown-place_ where Druk could find his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_. 

He hoped that they would not stay at _unknown-place-nicer-than-beach_ for very long. He needed rest, yes, but his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ still needed _safe-help-human-healing_ , and Druk was determined to ensure that he got it. He would carry the _ice-snow-hatch-mates-Katara-and-Sokka_ while they didn’t slow him down. But if they tried to stop him from helping his _partner-of-his-life-and-heart-Zuko_ , then Druk would leave them behind in an instant.


	11. Departure

Katara giggled as her mother told her a silly story about a boy who fell in love with a fish spirit. Their igloo was warm, strong walls blocking the wind as their fire burned merrily in the center. The little girl had her back leaned up against the wall, sitting comfortably on one of their furs as she listened to her mother’s story. The smell of roasting fish and sea prune stew seasoned the air. It smelled like home, and comfort, and family.

And then the roof collapsed on them as a boulder came flying through it.

Flames doused with a _hiss_ were drowned out by screams of fear and pain. Shouts echoed through the village, warriors barking orders and gathering weapons. Horrible crunching and cracking noises came as more boulders flew and landed. Some hit nothing but open ground. 

Some hit houses.

Katara found herself unhurt, but completely buried by what had once been a sturdy wall of ice and snow. _What’s going on? Did the house fall in?_ She tried to keep herself calm as she managed to wriggle her arms free from where they’d been pinned. Sweeping them in a move she’d practiced for countless hours, she reached her chi into the snow and pulled it off of herself.

She stood up to see their house in ruins, lumps of snow surrounding the boulder that had crushed half of it. Katara stared at it uncomprehendingly. She could see the mangled mess that was the crushed remains of the stew pot, its contents spilled all over the snow.

_Mom’s gonna be mad. What will we have for dinner now?_

_Where is she?_

“Katara!” Her brother sprinted up to her, grabbing her hand. “Come on! Dad said we need to run! Everyone needs to get out!” Sokka yanked, pulling her along behind him.

Katara stumbled along, getting half-dragged by Sokka. There were other people running alongside them sometimes. Huge rocks crashed down around them, Sokka pulling her in a zig-zagging path through the village. 

_It looks like it’s hailing. But hail is never this big. How come it doesn’t look like they’re made of ice?_ She reached out to one with her chi, but she felt nothing of the delicate _is-and-was-and-could-be_ that was water or ice. 

Then Palak was there, the graying fisherman reaching down to scoop Katara in his arms. He glanced back nervously at where his wife stood with other warriors of the tribe, trying to force those horrible metal ships to pull back. “Come on, Sokka,” he shouted over the sound of crushing boulders. “Don’t slow down!”

The air smelled like iron. Katara wondered how they could smell the ships from this far away. Until she saw the red smears spreading in the snow around some of the fallen rocks.

_They’re killing us._

Even at eight years old, Katara understood what death was. And she understood that the far-away green and brown figures on the decks of that metal ship had brought it to her tribe.

Then she saw the boulder headed right for them. She gasped, hands raising in instinct, a vain attempt to shield them from oncoming death. 

And the snow shifted under their feet. 

Palak and Sokka shouted in surprise as once-solid snow and ice moved like an animal, roiling under their feet like muscles under fur. They found themselves pulled to one side, forcefully and without warning. Then there was a huge spray of snow as a boulder landed right where they had been with an almighty crash.

And Katara awoke with a strangled gasp, her eyes flying open as she sat bolt upright in the bed.

A darkened room greeted her. Wood floors and wood walls, nothing of the bright ice and snow under the nighttime sun of a polar summer. The air was warmer, even without the need for a fire. No smell of fish and stew greeted her nose.

No smell of iron, either.

A faint hint of salt from a distant ocean was the only similarity. Katara took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down. She should have known that nightmare would come back soon. It always did close to the anniversary.

She pushed the blankets off herself with a clammy, faintly trembling hand. She had to get up. Had to move. Long years of experience had taught her that only one thing truly helped her after a nightmare like this one.

_Not a nightmare_ , Katara reminded herself as she slipped silently out of the room she had been given for the night. _A memory_.

A memory of why she would never trust those iron ships, or the earthbenders who had rained death down on her tribe. A memory of the night she had lost her mother. 

_We lost Dad that night too. He wasn’t the same after. He just left us with Gran Gran and geared up all the warriors to leave. And he never came back._

Katara swallowed her bitterness and hurt, finding the right door and inching it open. Her brother’s soft snores greeted her as she slipped inside, and some of the tension eased out of her chest. She crept closer, just wanting to see for herself that he was alright. But she was used to doing this on snow and furs, not hard wood flooring. 

A floorboard creaked, Katara wincing at the noise. Sokka’s eyes flew open, one hand gripping his machete and half-drawing it before finally registering who the dark figure in his room was. He blinked at her blearily. “Katara?”

She winced slightly. “S-sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.” Her voice trembled far too much for her liking.

His face softened. “You had that nightmare again, didn’t you?” At her shaky nod, he set his machete aside, opening his arms. “Come here.”

Katara approached, sinking down onto the bed and gratefully into her brother’s arms. He rubbed her back gently, just the way Gran Gran had done for both of them on those horrible nights right after it had happened, when they woke up in tears, crying out for a mother that no longer existed.

They had both thrown themselves into training, after it happened.

_Dad left, taking all the warriors with him. And Sokka worked every day to try and make up for them being gone_. But a nine-year-old child couldn’t protect a village by himself. And so Katara had trained too.

She remembered the feeling of shifting snow and ice on instinct. Of how it had saved her and Sokka and Palak. If she could just train more, just get good enough, then maybe she could go help Dad win the war. And if the war was over, then he could come home.

_As long as he has some place to come home to_ , that awful voice inside her whispered. _You and Sokka abandoned the tribe. Dad trusted you to take care of them, and now you’re going half the world away. They could be dead and you’d never even know._

Katara’s breath hitched at the thought before Sokka’s nudge brought her back. “Hey. Everything is going to be okay. We’ll go get help and bring it back. Everyone will be safe.”

She nodded shakily, settling down with him. The bed was plenty big enough for both as she curled into her brother’s side like she was eight years old again. He put an arm around her, and the siblings slowly drifted off to sleep once more. And neither of them mentioned how Sokka’s weapons were ready nearby, or the waterskin that Katara kept with her at all times, no matter what. They both understood why.

*********

Leyi resisted the urge to drag her hand down her face in an exasperated attempt to wake up. It would smear her war paint, and then some of the other warriors would be able to tell just how late she’d stayed up last night looking through old records.

 _Amazing how Shiva’s letters seemed to have so much and yet so little in them_ , Leyi mused. Snippets of old letters floated through her mind, the clipped, report-like writing of the former head warrior distinct. _Old habits die hard, I guess. At least I found what I was looking for_. An old memory, half-remembered in the back of her mind, finally brought to the surface. And just in time. Their guests would be leaving today.

She was shaken out of her tired musings as the door to the dojo opened and Suki stepped inside. The waiting warriors grew quiet. This was important, and they all knew it. _Here we go. Time to decide the fate of our island._

Suki cleared her throat. “Listen, you all know I’m not exactly the best with words. Or with sitting around to think things over.” The other warriors nodded. Suki was a woman of action. It was how she had been skilled enough to make head warrior by fifteen. 

She sighed, sitting down. “Today, though, I won’t be speaking as head warrior. I’m not going to give you orders on what to do or think. Today, each one of us needs to make a decision. I know what I am going to do. And if I have to do it alone, I won’t hold it against any of you.”

The gathered warriors shifted, exchanging glances and murmurs amongst themselves. Many of the loudest voices saying that Kyoshi Island should join the war were warriors around Suki’s age. Was she about to join them? Leyi frowned, studying the girl. _She looks tired. But under it, you can see she’s calm. This isn’t a rash decision, like a lot of the younger warriors made yesterday. She’s thought it through._

Suki raised a hand in front of her, and the whispers halted instantly. “I understand those of you who want us to remain here and stay neutral. It’s kept our island safe for a hundred years while the rest of the world has drowned in a sea of bloodshed.” Many of the younger warriors looked outraged at this, but Suki continued before they could speak out. “I also understand those of you who want to act. Who feel like we have a duty to act. Avatar Kyoshi trained us to fight, and sitting idly by while conquerors ravage the world was exactly the kind of thing she fought against.” There was silence. Everyone remembered the legends of Chin the Conqueror. And exactly how Kyoshi Island had become an island. 

Suki sighed. “I know that no matter what happens, the island will follow the Avatar. We owed her everything, and now, we will repay it to him.” She looked around the room seriously. “But the Avatar has not taken a stance in the war. And until he does, I believe Kyoshi Island should stay out of the war.”

Leyi felt a flood of mixed emotions, even as shouts of protest arose from many of the gathered warriors. There were looks of fury and outrage as girls and women surged to their feet. Those who remained seated, however, had expressions of relief, shoulders slumping as tension eased out of them. _We’re split. The younger ones want to help with the war. But the older understand what kind of danger that would put our families in. Our island would become a target._

There was a metallic _clang_ as Suki struck her fan against a shield, regaining order. “Enough! We are Kyoshi Warriors, not a flock of upset sparrowkeets!” She glared around the room, staring down angry faces until they looked away. She took a calming breath before sitting down again. “Until we know what the Avatar’s plans are for the war, we should wait and listen before we paint a target across our entire island. If all of us left to fight, who would be here to protect our families?”

There were murmurs of approval. Those who had protested now looked ashamed, eyes averted from their head warrior. Suki waited until silence returned before continuing. “Like I said, that’s what I think the _island_ should do. But that doesn’t mean it’s what I _personally_ am going to do.” Heads jerked up, spines stiffening as warriors listened with baited breath. “Sokka has told me that his tribe’s warriors have all left to join the war. Both the men _and the women_ who know how to fight. All they have left are the noncombatants. And they don’t have an Unagi to protect their village.

“They’re hiding. The entire tribe is in hiding, and it won’t work forever. That’s why they left, to go to the North Pole and try to find warriors who will help them.” Suki sighed. “I won’t put our island in danger. I’ll leave the Kyoshi Warriors entirely if that’s what I have to do. But I’m going to their village. I’ll keep them safe, until more warriors can come and help. Avatar Kyoshi trained us to protect ourselves, but also to protect others. And I won’t just sit idly by as one of the few good tribes I’ve heard of is wiped off the map because they couldn’t protect themselves.” She stood up, dusting herself off. “I’m going to the South Pole. Even if I have to do it alone.”

There was deafening silence ringing through the dojo. _Well, kid_ , Leyi thought with a wry smile, _you’ve definitely made them think_. She sighed, standing up. “You won’t have to go alone, Suki. I’ll come too. And I’m sure others will as well. But not all of us can.” She looked seriously around at her fellow warriors. “Don’t feel ashamed if you choose to stay. You being here is what allows the rest of us to leave, knowing that someone is looking after our loved ones.” More than one relieved expression met her gaze and nodded. 

Suki took a deep breath, nodding. “Alright. Those of you who want to come, go pack your things. Those who will stay, choose your next head warrior.”

There were gasps all around the room. Suki had worked herself to the bone for over a decade to become head warrior, and now she was willing to just give it up? Then an older warrior, Nire, stood up. Her jaw was set as she looked back at Suki. “We need to choose who will lead us while you’re gone. But you’ll still be our head warrior.” 

There were murmurs of agreement all around, and Suki bowed gratefully. “Thank you. Now, let’s go see that the Avatar and his friends have everything they need.”

Leyi smiled to herself as she stopped by her house, grabbing the small package she’d gotten together the night before. Making her way out to where supplies were being loaded onto the dragon’s back, she finally caught sight of the three young travelers. She winced internally at the dark bags under their eyes. _Looks like none of them slept well last night. Damn._

She sighed, making her way closer. She might not be able to help those Water Tribe siblings, but she could help Zuko. Although from the looks of it, Suki was going to handle the others. 

He looked up at her when she stopped in front of him, golden eye full of sorrow. “Hey, Leyi. I guess we’re leaving soon.”

She nodded. “Yeah, seems like it. But before you do, I wanted to give you this.” She held out the small package to him. He took it, a confused look on his face, as she started to explain. “I spent a while in our records last night. Looked up a bunch of Shiva’s old letters home. One of them mentioned an old spirit tale she said she told you.”

Zuko cracked a sad smile. “Ri Sha Lao. The Demon of a Thousand Cuts. When I was little, I always liked the idea of being like him. So skilled with my dao that my enemies thought I wielded a thousand swords instead of just two.”

Leyi grinned. “Glad to see you remember. Her letter mentioned that she hoped to get you a mask of his likeness one day, but she couldn’t find any outside Kyoshi Island.”

Zuko stiffened, looking down at the small, thin bundle in his hands. He carefully unwrapped it, and took in the smooth surface of the mask. Blue skin greeted him, with a wide, tusked mouth laughing and white flares and accents across the face. Leyi hummed. “It’s metal, too, and painted so the shine won’t give you away if you’re trying to sneak. Ri Sha Lao was more one for stealth and ambush, as I’m sure you remember.” She shrugged. “I just thought it might be something to remember her by.” _And maybe protect that face of yours a bit until you can get up to a healer. Although with how long it’ll take you to get there, I’m not sure how much they’ll be able to do for you._

But Zuko was looking up at her with gratitude in his eye, and maybe that was enough for now. She patted his shoulder with a smile. “Fly safe, and come back to visit when you can. Kyoshi Island will always welcome you.”

Zuko nodded. “Thank you. I hope we’ll meet again soon.” He turned, carefully climbing up onto the back of his dragon and strapping himself in. Leyi’s practiced eye caught how he seemed to still struggle with pulling his full weight up. _He needs a healer. He’s good at faking, but he’s hurt bad. I hope they make it to the North Pole quick._ She took a deep breath, watching Sokka and Katara climb up after him. With all three strapped in, Druk leapt into the air, wings flaring wide to catch the wind. The village watched as the huge red shape grew smaller and smaller before finally being carried out of sight.


	12. Angry Spirit

Shaiji had only recently come under the control of the Fire Nation as a new colony. Far enough from the coast that only a hint of salt could be detected on the air when the wind was blowing just right, it had passed the notice of the Water Tribe fleets on both sides of the war, whose warriors rarely strayed from their boats. It had no earthbenders, nor any notable strategic significance, so the Earth Kingdom Army had ignored it in favor of levying heavier taxes on much more prosperous farming towns. However its major protection, the dense forest that surrounded it, had also turned out to be its downfall.

_It’s a good thing one of the units was sent to find a good wood source_ , Azula mused to herself as she looked over scouting reports and analyses of the area. _Otherwise we’d never have found this place._

Having been out of the war for so long, Shaiji had virtually no defenses, and it had apparently only taken that single unit of soldiers to subdue the entire town and bring it under Fire Nation rule. A fact that was actually bothering Azula as she pored over notes on the area. “Why give up so easily?” She muttered under her breath. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“They’re nothing but dirt-covered commoners hiding in the woods,” came a sneering voice from the door. “I’m amazed they had enough intelligence to realize they stood no chance of victory from resistance.” Azula turned, seeing the man standing behind her, light from the setting sun streaming through the window and glinting off his golden collar of rank. He smirked, brown sideburns twitching at the motion as he strode forward. “I’m sure you’ll have no problems with bringing this town under control, your Highness.”

Azula scoffed. “Of course not, Admiral Zhao. I was simply wondering what tactics the unit who captured the town employed. It’s always good to know what works most effectively. However it seems your marines have left it out of their report.”

Zhao gave Azula a smile that was so oily she was honestly amazed it didn’t spontaneously combust. She resisted the brief urge to toss a spark near his mouth to see if it would ignite as the man spoke. “I’ll see to it that the proper chains of command have it included in their reports. Thank you for pointing out this discrepancy.” He bowed, just a little too shallow for proper respect to the royal family, and exited the room.

Azula gritted her teeth as she turned back to the reports. _And by that, he means I’ll never get to see it_. She wished that Zhao wasn’t quite so high up the chain of command. Then she might not have to deal with him so much. _Right. As if I’d ever be lucky enough for him to get demoted. Not when he’s on Father’s good side._ She shook her head. _Why couldn’t I have just stayed on Crescent Island and kept training with the Fire Sages?_

Even as she thought it, Azula already knew the answer. Her father’s words to her before dropping her on a ship east had been nothing if not clear. _“No family of mine will waste her time and talent with those fools who believe in spirits. Stop ruining yourself with that drivel your uncle believes and go do something useful for a change.”_ Azula sighed. Nothing she’d ever done had seemed to please her father. 

_You know why_ , the purely analytical part of her brain whispered. _It was never enough to convince Grandfather to make him the heir._

Which was true. Any idiot could notice what Prince Ozai was trying to do, if they looked at Azula closely enough. Her name, carefully chosen to honor the Fire Lord. Her skill at bending, already a natural and trained from birth to be a prodigy. But none of it was ever enough for Azulon to set Iroh aside in favor of naming Ozai the crown prince.

_Nor should it be_. Azula huffed to herself as she started sorting out scrolls. She _liked_ her uncle and cousin. They’d be fantastic Fire Lords one day, both of them. _And Father_ … Azula shuddered. She had a feeling that her father being on the throne would not end well for her people. Glancing out the window as the last of the sun’s rays slipped below the horizon, she shivered just a little. Those were not pleasant thoughts. Maybe some meditation would help settle her down enough for sleep. 

Mind made up, Azula went about setting up five candles, arranging them just right in front of one of the many banners that Zhao had insisted be set up everywhere in the town. She rolled her eyes. _If only he knew that he’s working to spread the insignia of something he doesn’t even believe in_. She smirked, wondering how he would react to realizing that.

_“Agni’s flame,”_ Sage Shyu had taught her, _“has been the insignia of our nation for untold generations. Its guiding light gives us hope and strength, even those who think it nothing more than a pretty picture of fire.”_ Azula smiled, touching the replica of the symbol made in beaten gold that held her topknot in place. It felt nice, always carrying that symbol of Agni with her wherever she went, as if the Great Spirit himself was watching over her.

_And Father didn’t force me to get rid of it_ , that quiet voice added, tinged ever so slightly with bitterness. He had forced her to leave her Sage apprentice robes when he’d removed her from the temple, but even he wouldn’t object to her wearing the symbol of their nation in her hair.

Shaking her head to rid herself of such unpleasant thoughts, Azula pinched each candle wick, igniting them one by one with bright blue flames. Settling back and taking up her meditation pose, she closed her eyes and breathed. At every inhale, blue light flared in front of closed eyelids. At every exhale, it dimmed. 

_“Just like the sun,”_ Shyu’s voice drifted back to her once more. _“The sun rises, the sun sets. For every day, there is night. And while Tui and La may balance each other as spouses, those of us who study the spirits remember that La has always been Agni’s sister. And they have a balance of their own.”_ It always came back to balance. Moon and ocean. Night and day. Human and spirit. Fire and water. Earth and air.

Old pain twinged, the sorrow and bitterness of a nation, and Azula felt the flames waver under her bending’s grasp. Elements balanced. Spirit and human opposed, with the Avatar to bridge the gap. _Not anymore. The Air Nomads had seen to that._

Azula sighed, centering herself once again. Contemplating old betrayals would do nothing for them now. What mattered was the present, and the future. Her shoulders slowly relaxed, the flames in front of her steadying out as her mind began to clear.

Then a scream split the night, and her eyes snapped open.

Azula surged to her feet, instinctively dousing her candles with a twist of her chi before rushing out of the house she had been given to use for her stay. The soldiers standing guard at her door hurried to follow, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Zhao moving to join her as well. Suppressing a note of frustration and disgust, she hurried towards the direction the scream had come from. 

She turned a corner and saw a woman shaking and sobbing as she was questioned none too gently by a group of three marines. Frowning, Azula approached, catching some of what the soldier in charge was saying. “-did you think you were doing out there? We told you what would happen if you tried to go run away and bring the Earth Kingdom down on our heads!” He raised a hand, preparing to strike her.

“Lieutenant!” Azula’s voice was sharp and cold, freezing the man in his tracks. “Report. Now.” 

The man turned, bowing to her and Zhao, who had come to a stop beside her. “Your Highness! We have everything under control. There’s no need to bore you with the details.”

Azula gritted her teeth. “Lieutenant, if I wanted your opinion, I would have _asked_ for it. I ordered you to give me your report. So _report_.”

Her last word was punctuated by every torch in sight flaring blue for a single moment before returning to their normal oranges and reds. The man paled. “Y-your Highness, I meant no disrespect! This woman was trying to sneak away to get Earth Kingdom reinforcements and it seems some animal scared her in the woods.”

The woman he gestured to shook her head urgently, a desperate look on her tear-stained face. “I wasn’t! I wasn’t trying to bring anyone here, I swear!”

Zhao stepped forward, a sneer on his face. “Even a peasant like you should know better than to lie to royalty. I think-”

“Admiral,” Azula spoke up, cutting off whatever vile opinion the man had been about to give, “while I appreciate your assistance in this, I would like to remind you that _I_ was the one placed in charge of Shaiji. I will deal with this woman here while you get the report from your marines.” She stepped forward, taking the shaking woman’s arm and gently guiding her away from Zhao and his men before any of them could object.

She brought the woman back to the house she was using, settling her into a chair as the woman tried to protest. “I swear, I wasn’t trying to get anyone!”

Azula raised her hands placatingly. “I understand that. I just want to know what happened. I want Shaiji to prosper and be happy, nothing more.” She turned, starting to set up her teapot. _Thank goodness I have some of Uncle’s calming blends with me_. She gave the woman time to collect herself, brewing the tea carefully and handing her a steaming cup with a smile. “Now then, what’s your name?”

The woman took a shaky breath. “L-Lin Fo, your Highness.”

Azula nodded. “Alright, Lin Fo, now can you tell me what you were doing out in the forest so late?”

She noted the frantic dart of the woman’s eyes before she answered. “I-I was just out f-for a walk, that’s all.” _Liar_. Azula had grown up in court, surrounded by snake weasels and rat vipers masquerading as people. She knew how to spot liars. _Not that I blame her. We invaded her home with soldiers and took it over_. While necessary, Azula was aware that it definitely had not endeared the villagers to the Fire Nation.

Deal with that later. Find out if there’s trouble coming first. Azula nodded. “So you were out for a walk. The lieutenant mentioned that an animal frightened you. Do you know what kind of animal it was?”

Lin Fo paled, shaking her head. “That was no animal like I ever heard. It was way too big to be a platypus bear. I don’t think even badger moles are that huge. It was a spirit monster.”

Azula stilled, looking Lin Fo up and down carefully. “Is there a reason that there would be an angry spirit in the forest?” She caught that flicker of eyes again and spoke up before she could be told another lie. “As I told you, I want Shaiji to be safe. If there’s an angry spirit in the woods, I need to know what angered it. I’ve trained with the Fire Sages. I might be able to calm it.”

She received a look of confusion. “Why would fire calm an angry spirit? That’s what made it mad in the first place.”

Azula resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. _Right, they don’t call them sages here_. “The Fire Sages are our nation’s group of shamans. I trained with them for some time before I came here.” Then the rest of her words caught up to Azula. “What do you mean fire made it mad?”

Lin Fo winced visibly, looking away. “When the soldiers came...some people tried to put up a fight. W-we drove them out of town, and then they...The forest was burning and there was smoke everywhere…” She shuddered. “I was out tonight to try and see if the shrine survived.”

Azula felt a chill deep within her. _Well_ , she thought distantly, _at least I know why they didn’t want to report on their tactics_. Burning a section of the forest was a horribly stupid idea. Even people who didn’t believe in spirits knew better. Most commanding officers would at least acknowledge the dangerous waste of resources, if nothing else. If it got higher up in the chain of command that a unit had purposefully torched a forest…

_Nothing would happen. These soldiers report to Zhao. And he wouldn’t care_. She took a steadying breath, shoving away the bitterness. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll go into the forest myself and see what I can do to help calm the spirit.”

Lin Fo’s eyes widened. “R-right now?”

Azula nodded. “If I wait, it will just get angrier. We’re lucky it hasn’t attacked the town yet. I don’t want to sit around until it decides to do that.” She turned, striding out of the house and closing the door behind her. 

And came face to face with Admiral Zhao.

Keeping her face completely placid, Azula cursed internally. _Why can’t you just stay out of my way?_ “Hello, Admiral. Is everything handled with your marines?”

Zhao nodded, bowing after just a little too long of a hesitation. “Of course, your Highness. I take it you’ve dealt with that peasant?”

_Stay calm. Do not fry those stupid sideburns off_. “She won’t cause any more problems. Now, I need to investigate a matter in the woods. It seems there have been reports of a spirit growing restless.”

Zhao sniffed dismissively. “Spirits are nonsense. That silly girl was scared by a platypus bear or something, nothing more.”

Azula looked coolly back at him. “Then I’m sure you’ll have no problems with me going to see for myself.”

Zhao shifted. “Are you sure that’s wise, your Highness?” His eyes drifted over her clothes, red cloth with black accents, and only the barest hint of golden embroidery at the collar. “You’re hardly dressed for battle.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And if it’s a platypus bear like you claim, it won’t be a battle.” Holding up a fist, Azula allowed blue flames to dance above her knuckles. “Need I remind you how skilled I am at firebending? Or who taught me?”

“I would never dream of questioning your father’s teachings, your Highness. But please, allow me to accompany you.”

Azula shook her head. “You’re navy, not army, Admiral. You have no experience in forests like these. I will go alone.” _Like hell I’d ever let you come with me. You’d probably tell a spirit to its face that it isn’t real. I’m trying to calm one down, not disrespect it more._

*********

When she began to smell burnt wood, Azula knew she had to be getting close. And sure enough, after just a few more minutes of walking quietly through the forest, she came to a break in the trees. What she saw beyond it made her stomach drop into her knees. _Oh, Agni._

The soil that had been covered in moss and roots at one point now looked almost like snow from how thick the coating of ash was. Burned-out husks that pierced the sky like spears were all that was left of once-mighty oaks. Where the forest she’d been walking through before had the sounds of mole crickets and night birds, here everything had an eerie silence to it. 

Azula sighed. _Maybe I can help organize the villagers into replanting this. But first, where is that shrine?_ Picking her way slowly through the burned forest, she finally spotted an odd clustering of rocks just outside the mouth of a cave. As she approached, she saw the pool at its base, water now completely choked with ash. Her eyes picked out the carved lines on fallen stones, dedications and blessings to the spirit of the forest. 

She winced. _This isn’t good_. Some of the stones had cracks running through them from where they’d impacted the ground. _They wouldn’t have just fallen over_ , she realized as she looked at them. _Not even the fire should have weakened the stack enough._

Meaning one of those idiot marines had kicked it over. When she got back to Shaiji, Azula swore she’d find out which one.

_But for now_ , she turned her attention back to the toppled shrine, _let me see how much I can fix before I go_. What she’d told Lin Fo was true. The last thing she wanted to do was sit around and wait for the spirit to get angry enough to attack the village.

Azula bent, getting to work. She used her hands to sweep away as much ash as she could from the place where she could tell the shrine once stood. Gathering up each fallen stone, she checked them over carefully, taking note of the inscriptions and markings that would tell her its place within the larger structure. Then, she began stacking them, being careful to ensure that nothing toppled or broke while she worked. If one of these stones were to shatter, she had no idea how she might go about replacing it.

Sitting back on her heels once she finished, Azula let out a satisfied sigh. “There we go. That’s much better. Now, what to do about the water…” She tapped her chin, contemplating how she might go about removing the ash that was clogging the pool. 

Then a faint, rumbling growl came echoing out of the cave she was sitting in front of.

Azula froze, her eyes flying to the dark void of the cavern’s depths. That definitely was no animal from the Earth Kingdom. Lin Fo was right, it was far too big to even be a badger mole. She squinted, trying to see something, anything that might tell her what she was dealing with. 

Although it was far too dark in the cave to see, Azula’s straining ears did pick up what sounded like faint, echoed whispers. Taking a deep breath, she made a snap decision and bowed low at the mouth of the cave. “Honored spirit, thank you for giving me time to work on restoring your shrine. I know it’s not fully complete yet, but I promise it will be. All I ask is that you please have patience with me.”

She waited with baited breath, hoping the spirit wouldn’t attack. If she could just finish restoring the shrine, then she could show it that she meant to help. Harsher-sounding whispers reached her this time, the distance and echoes making them far too distorted to understand. Azula swallowed hard. _At least it hasn’t growled again._

A flicker of movement in the darkness caused her to dare a glance up. Fading out of the darkness, still half-hidden in shadows, was a face. A horrible, angry yet seemingly laughing face with no discernible body. Blue skin and a white tusked mouth just floated in the darkness, white outlines showing her a pair of mismatched eyes. One stood a stark, pale white under the faint moonlight. The other, still in shadow, was dark as a moonless midnight. 

Azula took a steadying breath. _It hasn’t attacked me yet. It’s just...watching_. Taking that as a good sign, she bowed again before slowly straightening. “You honor me with your presence. If you’d like to watch, I was just about to start trying to clear the ash from your pond.” She shed the cloak she was wearing, consciously using her chi to warm herself in its absence. It was chilly at night, this far north. Far colder than the islands at home had been.

Forming the cloak into a kind of sling, Azula began carefully dragging it through the water, skimming ash off the top of it. Then she pulled it up, leaning to the side away from the shrine to dump the wet ash onto the ground. And then she repeated the process, again and again. Out of the corner of her eye, she checked the spirit. It was still just standing in the shadows of the cave watching her. _Thank Agni. It’s giving me time to make this right._

Then screeching rent the quiet night air. Azula’s head whipped upwards to see wolfbats circling, descending down to attack her. Cursing under her breath, she leapt to her feet and jumped out of the way, just in time to avoid the impact of one crashing into the ground where she’d been standing. Instinctively she reached for her chi, ready to call fire and scare them away, before her blood ran cold. _Firebenders burned down the forest. And the spirit is still watching. If I firebend, will that anger it?_

Gritting her teeth, she dove out of the way of another wolfbat, punching it in the nose as it sailed towards her before rolling under its outstretched claws. _I’ll have to fight them off without bending. This might be tricky_. Angering the forest spirit was definitely not a risk she was willing to take. Not after everything that had already happened here.

Unfortunately, fighting off wolfbats without bending was easier said than done. _It’s been too long since I did hand-to-hand with Ty Lee_ , Azula thought grimly to herself. _I’m out of practice. This isn’t good_. She dodged under one wolfbat before leaping into the air and performing a downward heel strike on another. It yelped in pain, but that didn’t stop the one next to it from lashing out, catching her across the arm with its claws.

Azula gasped in pain as she spun away from it, trying to get some space. She gritted her teeth, tensing as she saw yet another wolfbat flying at her.

Only for it to be knocked away by a dark blur and a flash of steel. 

Azula blinked, only barely registering that the fast-moving black shape seemed to be a person in black with a sword in each hand. Their back was to her as they slashed away two of the beasts. _Where on earth did they come from? I didn’t think there was anyone around for miles_. Before she could think on it any further, there was a flash of brown fur in front of her before white teeth sunk into her savior and they cried out in pain.

The roar that came from the cave was deafening.

Azula staggered, clapping hands to her ears to protect them. The wolfbats all yelped, taking to the sky with yips of fear and trying to flee. _Agni, that spirit is_ loud. _But why intervene now?_ She heard a groan of pain from the ground and shook herself out of her thoughts. _Worry about that later_. She needed to check on the stranger’s wounds.

“Zuko!”

Azula’s head shot up at the unexpected shout, and she saw a pair of teenagers, roughly her age, come running out of the cave. She tensed, taking in their blue clothes and the whalebone machete gripped tightly in the boy’s hand. _Water Tribe. But which side are they on?_ Then the shadows in the cave shifted, and Azula felt her breath leave her.

First came one leg, white claws gleaming softly in the moonlight. Then came another leg, then a head, white crest running down the long neck. Red armored scales covered powerful muscles. Fangs peeked through ever-so-slightly parted lips, the faintest snarls evident on its face as the huge dragon stalked into view. Its gold eyes were fixed on Azula alone as it gave a low growl of warning.


	13. Flames in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait on this one. This chapter really didn't want to be written, for some reason.

_Dragon_. Azula was struggling to keep her breathing slow and even as her mind raced to remember every detail about them that her uncle had ever shared with her. _Not a spirit. There’s a dragon in these woods_.

_How?_

Dragons were, by their nature, creatures of fire. The children of Agni himself. That one would be in the Earth Kingdom at all seemed highly unlikely, considering their preferred homes were in volcanoes, whether active or dormant. For one to not only be on this continent, but this far north, with no sheltering fire mountain nearby…

_Bond_. That was the only explanation Azula could think of. _This is a bonded dragon_. 

Not that the realization helped her very much. She had been under the impression that she knew of every bonded pair of dragon and human. In their nation’s history there had only ever been tales of four, and two of them were long dead. And of the two that still lived, Azula knew both pairs. _This isn’t Lotus or Sun. Neither of them are red._

There was a grunt of pain as the person who’d saved her sat up. “Druk, stop. She won’t try to hurt us.”

Azula glanced down at him. Based on the voice and body shape, she’d guess he was a boy perhaps a couple of years older than herself. _Blue clothes on the other two implies Water Tribe_. Not to mention the fact that the girl had shouted ‘Zuko’ as she’d run out of the cave. _And what kind of coincidence is that? Well, the spirits did always have a sense of humor. How ironic, that he would bond with a red dragon. It’s very fitting of him to name his dragon Druk. Although it will make history books hard to keep straight in the future._

The dragon gave her one more considering look before sitting back, lips relaxing from a snarl to neutral, covering deadly fangs. Azula bowed slightly in gratitude. “Thank you.” _At least the immediate danger has passed. Now time to get some answers._

Zuko grunted, reaching for what seemed to be ties holding his mask in place. _With the dark clothes he’s wearing, I’m not surprised I couldn’t see him standing there in the cave_. The girl next to him shifted slightly. “Um...are you sure that’s a good idea…? How do you know she won’t attack?”

He just huffed, pulling off the mask. “Because if she wanted to hurt us, she would have done it by now.” Azula’s eyes searched over his face, and she blinked in surprise at the large bandage covering almost half of it. _No wonder that wolfbat got the drop on him. It jumped him from his blind side_. His trust that she wouldn’t cause any issues was rather understandable. Even if he didn’t recognize her specifically, her red and black clothing were very clearly Fire Nation, and the engraved hairpiece that held her topknot marked her as a noble. He would know that she wouldn’t attack a fellow countryman.

_That’s assuming he’s on your side_ , the pessimistic voice inside her nudged. _Out here alone with only two Water Tribe for company? No troops or even other Fire Nation to back him up?_

Zuko had a small smirk playing about his lips. “If she wanted us dead, we’d know it by now.” He looked up at her with absolutely no fear or hesitation in his eye. _Used to being around nobles, then. Just who is this guy?_ “What’s a firebender doing on her own this far north?”

The Water Tribe boy stiffened, his knuckles white on the grip of his machete. “She’s a what? But she didn’t use it against the wolfbats!”

Azula shrugged. There was no point in hiding it now, not when his declaration was so certain. “Use firebending in front of what I thought was a spirit who was angry because someone _burned down their forest?_ No thank you. I rather like living.” She turned back to her savior. “So then, Zuko, I believe I heard you called? What gave me away?”

Zuko huffed out a laugh, still seeming to be in pain but obviously pushing past it. “You mean besides your stance? You hold yourself like a fighter. And sure, you know hand-to-hand, but it was pretty obvious you were out of practice with it. That, plus the fact that you don’t carry weapons means you’re a firebender.” He smirked. “Besides. You haven’t acted cold at all, even though you took off your cloak to clean the pond. My bet is you’re warming yourself with your bending.”

_So he knows all the signs that give away a firebender. That, plus the dragon..._ She inclined her head. “Well observed. So allow me to turn your question right back at you. What are _you_ doing this far north?”

The girl supporting him shifted nervously. “What makes you think he’s a firebender? He fought with swords against the wolfbats.”

Azula just raised an eyebrow, pointing casually at Druk. “Dragons don’t bond with just anybody. In all of Fire Nation history, we only have record of four humans deemed worthy by a dragon. And all of them were firebenders. Legendary ones, at that.” She looked over Zuko with open curiosity. “I’d love to know what you did to earn this dragon’s respect.” _I’d love to get any answers at all out of you. Who are you? Why have I never heard about another bonded dragon?_ That was something that the Sages had always been careful to keep an ear out for.

“Uh, guys?” The Water Tribe boy spoke up. “Is there anything else nearby?”

Azula frowned. _If they thought this was just wilderness, it explains them staying in the cave rather than coming to town. Then again, so would wanting to avoid the Fire Nation Army_. “Shaiji is a village not too far from here. It’s where I walked from.”

The boy pointed. “So, is it normal for it to do that?”

Azula turned, and she felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. A dull orange glow of light could be seen in the sky above the treeline. It almost looked like the sunrise. _Except it’s the middle of the night. The sun won’t be up for hours. And that’s southwest, not east_. Exactly the direction of Shaiji. _I left Zhao there unsupervised._

Abandoning all semblances of propriety, Azula cursed under her breath and took off sprinting back towards the village. Distantly, she heard Zuko shout, “Sokka, go with her!” The Water Tribe boy made quite a bit of noise as he crashed through the underbrush behind her. 

Azula had to admit, she was glad to at least have another pair of hands to help. A natural fire would be one thing. She could take care of a lot of it by herself most likely. _But this isn’t a natural fire_ , she thought grimly as the pair burst through the trees and into the clearing where the town sat. _No fire spreads this fast. Especially not with how rainy it’s been these past few days._

Every house was on fire, every roof engulfed in flames. _A fire spreading this fast could only be explained by tar or oil...or firebenders_. Figures could be seen running in the darkness, darting through shadows and fleeing into the trees. _Did they cause this? Did Lin Fo or someone else actually go get Earth Kingdom troops?_ Then she realized how small some of the figures were, and her heart plummeted. _Kids. Those are the villagers._

A silhouette she recognized all too well stepped out from between two buildings. The towering flames backlit the sharp lines of armor and those idiotic sideburns as Zhao stepped forward. His fist thrust forward as he blasted flames at the retreating villagers’ backs. Azula snarled, reaching out with arms and chi and _yanking_.

Red-orange flames blazed bright blue as they veered off-course, rocketing into the sky instead of striking their target. “Zhao! What in the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?”

The admiral turned, a sneer on his face as flames reflected off his armor. “Ah, done playing with your imaginary spirit in the woods? And here was me thinking these insurgents had lured you to your death, your Highness.”

The Water Tribe boy, Sokka, she believed, made a choked noise behind Azula, but she purposefully ignored it. _Deal with that later. Zhao is the immediate threat_. “What insurgents? This town was peacefully under our rule!”

Zhao snorted. “Of course it wasn’t. Why, just look how quickly they burned the evidence of their stockpiling weapons and supplies for the Earth Army. All in an attempt to frame us.” His voice was soft, but with hidden barbs to it, like a poisoned dagger covered in silk.

Sokka huffed. “Yeah, right. Why would they burn down their own village?”

Zhao’s eyes snapped to him, gold irises seeming to almost glow in the firelight. “Well, well, well, who might you be?” He looked to Azula with the faintest of smirks. “I had no idea you had such... _colorful interests_ , your Highness.”

Azula bristled at the implication before taking a deep breath. _He’s trying to make you lose control. Focus on the problem at hand_. She glared at him. “Potential allies in the area are not the issue here, Zhao. Order your marines to stand down at once.”

His raised eyebrow practically screamed how little he thought of her. “And if I refuse?”

“If you refuse to do as I, the governor appointed here _by the Fire Lord_ ,” Azula reminded forcefully, “then I will be forced to assume that you have betrayed his Majesty, and I will deal with you accordingly.” _And I’ll do it here, where Father can’t intervene on your behalf_. She didn’t want any risk of Zhao slipping out of punishment. 

Zhao sneered at her. “You’re just a little girl who understands nothing. I was placed in charge of your safety, your Highness, and allowing these insurgents to live is a threat to that safety. Sometimes, to follow the orders I was given _by the Fire Lord_ ,” his voice parrot-hawked her own words mockingly back at her, “then I must disobey the orders given by a governor.”

Azula’s eyes narrowed, and she took a ready stance. “Then I suppose we need to settle this. I challenge you to an Agni Kai.”

The admiral smirked, lazily taking his own stance. “If that’s what you really want.” His body language screamed confidence. _Understandable. He’s got decades more experience than I do. So how to use that against him?_ Before she had time to think of an answer, Zhao moved.

With a heavy stomp forward, he thrust his fist out, blasting fire directly at her. _Trying to end it before we begin. How much of an amateur does he take me for?_ Rather than waste chi redirecting his attack, Azula simply rolled to the side, kicking flames and dust up at him together in an attempt to blind him. Then she sprinted close, hoping to close the distance and knock him out. 

The blast of fire that came at her made her dance back again with a soft curse. _Damn. Not fast enough_. Zhao sneered at her as he swept more flames her way. “Come now, _your Highness_ , you and I both know your father taught you better than this.”

Azula snarled, dodging his attacks and quietly thanking Ty Lee for everything the gymnast had taught her. It was the only way she had stayed unburnt this long. _He’s good. I can’t let this keep going. If it turns into an endurance fight, I’ll lose._

Which meant she needed to end this now. With a quick blast of fire to give herself some room to move, Azula sprinted forward. Instinct more than sight is what caused her to tuck into a roll, a wave of flame going over her as she bounced up and kept going. A flip carried her over Zhao’s next attack, and directly into striking range. She twisted, delivering a spinning kick to Zhao and causing him to fall with a grunt. 

She landed easily, standing out of striking range of her opponent and watching him. “Give up, Zhao! I’ve won.” A warning shout behind her made Azula instinctively turn to look. She took in the three marines advancing on Sokka. She tensed, turning to go help him.

And pain blossomed in her shoulder as something struck it hard.

Azula screamed, the force of the impact knocking her to the ground. She tasted ashes on the ground as she groaned. _Pain is a warning. Push past it, damn it. I need to get up._ She shifted, trying to push herself up. Then it felt like something scraping across her shoulder blade, and dark spots danced across her vision as she gasped in pain. 

Behind her, she heard the faint _clank_ of armor shifting as Zhao rose. “Well, well, it looks like those insurgents have shot you, your Highness.” She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. “It seems I was right to try and deal with them. Such a shame, you got in the way. All this unpleasantness could have been avoided.” His voice turned cold. “You men! Deal with that Water Tribe barbarian and then go take care of the rest of the villagers.” 

Azula managed to push herself up on her uninjured arm, peering through a haze of pain. _I have to stop them!_ She saw three marines advance on a lone figure in blue, who seemed tense and ready to fight. He stepped forward, his arm cocked back before whipping forward. One of the soldiers ducked before laughing at him jeeringly. “You missed, boy.”

“Did I?” His confident question almost covered the faint _whirring_ noise Azula heard cutting through the air. Then there was a sharp _clang_ of metal on metal, and one of the marines crumpled. 

The second marine snarled, charging forward with a slash of his blade. There was the scraping sound of steel on bone as Fire Nation longsword met with Water Tribe machete. “Idiot!” The third marine was shouting now. “Get out of the way!” _Firebender! He’s trying to get a clear shot!_ Azula shifted, trying to gather enough of her chi to redirect flames. The swordsman dropped away as sparks bloomed from the firebender’s fist.

“ _No!_ ” The shout echoed through the night, accompanied by a roar of water that shot out of the well nearby and encased the marines in ice. Azula blinked through blurring vision to see the Water Tribe girl she’d left in the woods earlier. _Waterbender. That’s a surprise_. Then fire streaked above her, heading straight for the girl. Azula gave a wordless shout of warning, seeing the girl turn towards the oncoming flames. _She’s not going to react in time-!_

Red-orange flames turned into a vibrant kaleidoscope of color, veering off-course and harmlessly skyward. The ground trembled as something huge landed before an ear-splitting roar shattered the night. Azula saw red scales and white fangs reflecting the dying flames from burned-out houses. _Druk. He must have brought the girl here_. Behind her, she heard Zhao make a choked noise. Even he wasn’t idiotic enough to face down a dragon in single combat. She heard the faint sounds of armor growing further and further as he retreated, disappearing into the night. 

Then new footsteps approached, and she turned her head enough to see high boots and dark clothes before hands gently helped her up. “Easy. You don’t want to jostle that arrow too much.” Azula looked up into the eyes of whoever was helping her. Or rather, the eye. She took in the bandage covering half his face and sighed softly in relief. _Zuko’s here too_. At least it wasn’t another enemy. Even if she didn't know where this group stood, they'd offered no threat to her so far.

Not seeming to expect her to respond, Zuko kept her from falling over again as she swayed in pain. “Come on. We need to get out of here. We’ll take care of that wound once we’re somewhere safe.” Azula almost protested as he started leading her towards the dragon before thinking more about it. _What’s the alternative? Stay here, alone and injured with Zhao and his troops?_ She fought back a shiver at the thought. Whoever these people were, she knew she was definitely safer with them for now. 

Pain made her stagger again, and more than one set of hands caught her. She didn’t really keep track of who exactly it was that helped her up into what felt like a saddle. Leather straps went over her legs to secure them as two people settled down in front of and behind her. There was a lurch of motion that sent pain lancing through her shoulder as Druk leapt into the sky and flew off into the darkness beyond the village.


	14. History

When Druk landed again, the eastern horizon was just beginning to lighten. Sokka was the first to slide off, watching out of the corner of his eye to make sure Zuko got down alright before turning his attention to his sister and the Fire Nation girl they’d somehow managed to pick up. Judging by the red-fletched arrow sticking out of the back of her shoulder, Sokka was willing to bet she wouldn’t want to turn them over to the Fire Nation in a hurry. _Was she against them before? Or was that fight at the village what made her decide to turn?_ That admiral guy had seemed entirely too ready to fight her. Had he expected her to betray the Fire Nation before now?

_Be honest_ , he told himself, _that’s not what’s bothering you_. 

The girl was obviously some kind of spirit-speaker, based on the way she’d acted at the shrine by the cave. There was no way she wasn’t. She had been entirely too well-versed in how to calm an angered spirit to be anything else. _But spirit-speakers don’t become chiefs_. That was something Sokka knew, right down to his bones. A spirit-speaker had to place honoring the spirits first, ensuring the balance between them and humans was stable enough not to cause problems. They couldn’t juggle that and run a village at the same time. Chiefs handled human disputes. Spirit-speakers handled spirit ones.

_But that old guy called her ‘your Highness’_ , Sokka remembered with a grimace. _And she even said that she was the governor appointed by the Fire Lord_. He knew enough about other nations to understand that a governor was sort of like a chief for a specific village, even if the nation as a whole was larger. _So how can she be both?_

Ugh. Sokka’s head hurt. A gasp of pain made him glance over, and he saw Katara pull away the bloody arrow from the strange girl’s back, starting to wrap her shoulder in bandages. _She seems pretty young to be chief, too_. Unless he was very much mistaken, this girl looked like she was Katara’s age. _Maybe if her parents had been in charge before and died, then it would make sense_ , he reasoned with himself, _but she said she was appointed_. By the Fire Lord himself, no less, which was an entirely different issue that Sokka felt very out of his depth in handling.

The scrape of wood on wood drew his gaze, and he caught sight of Zuko stacking up gathered sticks. He arranged them into a tent shape in a small hollow of stone before lighting the campfire with a small gesture of his hand. Sokka tried not to stare. Being around firebending was still taking some getting used to. Growing up, the only bender that had been around was Katara.

Sokka sighed. _Well, no time like the present to get some answers_. “Alright, I think we need to talk.”

Zuko glanced up, raising a lone eyebrow. “I’ll say. Exactly when were either of you going to mention that Katara was a waterbender?”

The Fire Nation girl’s head shot up from where Katara had just put her arm in a sling. “You didn’t know?”

Zuko pursed his lips. “I sure didn’t. In fact, I seem to remember being told that all the southern waterbenders had either picked a side, or had a side picked for them.” He stared down Katara, and Sokka gulped. _He’s mad. We lied to him, and have been since we met_. 

Katara shifted uncomfortably. “We didn’t even know if we could trust you when I told you that…” Based on Zuko’s flat stare, he wasn’t pleased with that answer. She sighed. “Besides, what would have been the point? I’m not a healer. I can’t help you. I’ve never even been trained. Everything I know about waterbending, I figured out for myself.” 

A golden eye narrowed. “Has it occurred to you that I might have needed your help for something other than just healing?” He gestured to the Fire Nation girl listening intently to the exchange. “How about help saving her from the wolfbats? There was a pond right there.” The campfire flared slightly as his voice started getting angrier.

Sokka winced, jumping in to head off the argument before it really got going. “Alright, so we made a bad call. I get that. And it’s fair for you to be mad about it. But right now, I’d say we have a few more problems on our hands than arguing about how we could have done something better in the past.” He turned, staring pointedly at the Fire Nation girl. “Who are you?”

She raised a delicate eyebrow, gesturing to the sling her arm was in. “No one who will hurt you.”

Sokka shook his head. “Not what I mean. I heard you arguing with that old guy in the armor. You said you were the governor of that town. And no noble has ever turned against the Fire Lord before. Have you?”

Pale nostrils flared. “I have _not_ turned against the Fire Lord. I was set in charge of Shaiji to see that they flourished peacefully under Fire Nation rule. It was Admiral Zhao who was disobeying the will of the Fire Lord.”

Sokka felt his stomach dropping. _So she’s still on their side. This could go badly if we don’t play it right. Time to redirect before she asks what side we’re on_. “You’re a spirit-speaker. Why did you get made chief?”

“First of all,” she said coolly, “I’m governor, not chief. The ‘chief’ of the Fire Nation, as you call it, would be the Fire Lord.”

Sokka threw up his hands in frustration. “Well you were definitely in charge in that town! That makes you chief. Especially considering that Admiral Sideburns called you ‘your Highness’. That doesn’t sound like just a governor to me!”

Next to him, Zuko made a strangled choking sound. The girl winced slightly, turning to look at him. “You didn’t recognize me, did you?”

Zuko was staring at her so intently that Sokka half-expected her clothes to start smoldering. “I knew you were a noble thanks to the gold, but…” His eyes searched all over her face, as if he would find the answers to the universe buried somewhere within them.

She sighed, turning her gaze back to Sokka. “As I’m sure Zuko will no doubt tell you, my name is Azula, and yes, I am a Fire Nation noble.” _Was it just me, Sokka thought, or did she just give Zuko a warning look?_ “As for being a ‘spirit-speaker’ as you call it, I trained with the Fire Sages for quite some time. However, my father...disapproved of my choices.”

Sokka caught Zuko shifting out of the corner of his eye. He was suddenly eyeing this Azula girl with the level of trepidation Sokka usually reserved for judging whether the ice underneath him was about to give way. _Danger. Look out, or it could be the last mistake you ever make_. Sokka swallowed hard. _Whatever this is, it can’t be good_.

“Your father.” Zuko said carefully, looking her up and down. “If he was worried about lines of succession…”

Azula huffed. “You should know perfectly well that my father will never be the heir. My grandfather has never wanted to set my uncle aside in favor of his younger brother, and my cousin is perfectly able to take his place if my uncle, spirits forbid, passes on before my grandfather does.”

Sokka frowned. _Why does she think Zuko would know about the succession of some random noble family? He hasn’t even been around for...a...hundred years_. Sokka felt his stomach drop. _We can’t let her figure out who he is. If she knows he’s the Avatar, who knows what she’ll try to do? Alright, time to redirect this conversation_. “But if you’re not supposed to be in the line of succession, how did you get put in charge of that town?”

He was met with a careful, considering frown, and he gulped. “You haven’t been part of the war, have you?”

_Oh boy. Here we go_. “All our tribe’s warriors left to fight six years ago. Nobody’s been back since.” He fought away the familiar pang of hurt that came with his declaration. _Deal with that later. Keep her focus on me, not Zuko_. He shrugged. “Why does that matter?”

Unfortunately for his plan, it was Zuko who answered, drawing her attention right back to him. “Because if you were part of the war, you’d know who was ruling the Fire Nation. Including their family. Regardless of which side you were on.” Which made sense, Sokka decided once he’d thought about it. _If we were on the Fire Nation’s side, of course we’d know who was in charge. And if we fought against them...Well, know your enemy. You can’t hunt something and take it down if you don’t know how it acts_. 

Azula nodded. “True. And the fact that your village hasn’t contributed to either side of the war in six years would have you classified as neutral. You don’t have a reason to fight for one side or the other.”

Katara bristled slightly. “Oh, believe me, we have plenty of reason to-”

“Katara!” Sokka cut her off before she could get them into trouble. _I don’t care how mad you are about Mom. We need her to think we might join her side_. It was the only way he could see out of this mess. He took a deep breath. “Six years ago, our tribe was attacked without warning or provocation. We had been neutral in the war before then. Apparently, some earthbenders decided that they didn’t care.” Leave it at that. Let her assume we’re mad at the Earth Kingdom. Never mind the fact that Sokka distinctly remembered the metal ships that had carried the earthbenders. Earth Kingdom ships were made of wood.

Azula frowned in sympathy. “Then you begin to see why we oppose them. A hundred years ago, it was the Air Nomads who struck first. Ours was simply a retaliation, and the Earth Kingdom tried to prevent us from seeking justice for what was taken from us.”

Zuko’s head jerked up in surprise at her declaration, and Sokka hurried to ask more before she noticed how shocked he looked at his own nation’s history. “The Air Nomads? Our stories say they were pacifists living in temples. Monks and nuns, right? Why would they hurt anybody?” The questions had an underlying challenge that Sokka was hoping she would rise to. _Why should I believe you? Try and convince me to join your side. And maybe you’ll give something away while you do_. 

Azula sighed. “Because the next Avatar was to be born among them. And who knows what the temples planned to do once they had been.”

Sokka stiffened. _But the Fire Nation Avatar was_ … “You know who the Fire Nation Avatar was?”

Gold eyes blinked at him in surprise. “You don’t?”

Katara shook her head right alongside him. “The last Avatar Gran Gran had stories about was Kyoshi. After that...Well, a lot of tribes around us thought the Avatar abandoned the world to just let their own nation rule over everything.” Sokka nodded in agreement. _Good. Don’t admit that’s what we thought too. Let her reach her own conclusions_. 

“Well,” Azula hummed, “that does begin to explain why your tribe remained neutral until directly attacked.” She glanced at Zuko. “Would you like to tell them the story? You seem to be honoring him, after all.” Her gaze flickered up to Druk and then back down again.

Zuko shook his head. “Not much of a storyteller. You should tell it. It’s about your family, after all.” Sokka caught the faint hitch in his voice. _What’s that about?_

She nodded, settling down and taking a deep breath. “Very well.” Glancing at Sokka and Katara, she asked, “Do you remember what I said about bonded dragons?”

Sokka frowned, not sure how this related. “You said there were only four or something, right?” 

Azula inclined her head. “There were, although Zuko and Druk here would make five.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I wonder what title you’ll get, now that I think about it.”

Katara tilted her head. “Title?”

Azula nodded. “Dragons don’t bond with just anyone. We show great respect to those who are chosen, because it means the dragon has recognized them as an equal. And so, they too earn the title of dragon. In our nation’s history, until now, there have only ever been four.” She held up four fingers, putting one down at a time as she named them. “There was the Dragon of the East, bonded to a blue dragon named Shen. There’s the Dragon of the West, bonded to a white dragon named Lotus. There is the Dragon Sage, bonded to a gold dragon named Sun. And before all of them, there was first the Dragon Prince. And he was bonded to a red dragon named Druk.”

Sokka felt his breath leave him. _That’s got to be Zuko. But she said_ prince. _She can’t mean…_

Azula smirked slightly. “Judging by the look on your face, I take it you didn’t know who your friend named his dragon after.” Her smirk widened. “Or who your friend was named after, either.” Here her gaze flicked to Zuko, who shrugged noncommittally. “The spirits have an interesting sense of humor. Not only were you named after the Dragon Prince, but then they also chose to have you bond with a red dragon of your own. It will definitely make the history books a bit more confusing in the future.”

She shrugged, moving on to continue her story. “The Dragon Prince, or Prince Zuko, if you prefer, was the second son of Fire Lord Sozin, younger brother to the current Fire Lord Azulon. And he was born the same year Avatar Kyoshi died.” Azula’s face turned grim. “Roughly a month or so before the prince’s sixteenth birthday, there was a trade dispute with the Southern Air Temple. The Elders refused to come negotiate themselves to settle it, and they also refused to send a representative on their behalf. They insisted that a member of the royal family come to settle things with them at their temple.”

Sokka caught the tightness around her mouth, the flared nostrils of controlled yet building anger. Thinking through what she was saying, he could sort of see where it might lead. And he really didn’t like it at all. He felt his stomach sink. “Oh, man.”

Azula nodded. “You start to see where this is going. But a hundred years ago, my people didn’t. The Fire Lord was far too busy to go himself. His wife, Fire Lady Ruka, had passed away several years prior. His elder son, then Prince Azulon, was taking on more responsibilities in court and being prepared for the day when he might finally need to take the throne. And so, the only option available was for Prince Zuko to go. It even made more sense to send him than anyone else. With his dragon, he could fly to the temple in far less time than it would take to sail.” Her hands clenched into fists. “They led him right into their trap.”

Katara twitched in surprise. “Trap? What are you talking about?”

Sokka winced, speaking up. “I get it. Think about it, Katara. They made it so the only way to resolve that dispute was for one specific person to be at the Southern Air Temple. Which is where the Air Nomads had all the power, since it was their domain.” He gulped. “And if she’s saying that the Air Nomads wanted the Avatar born to their nation, then what do you think they’d do to the current one?”

“But you said he was fifteen!” Katara protested. “How could they have known, when the Avatar doesn’t even find out until they’re sixteen?”

Azula pursed her lips. “He was a _prince_. The son of the Fire Lord. It was fairly common knowledge when he was born. And besides that, any nation can have spies. How easy would it be, for one lone glider to sneak onto Crescent Island and into the archives? Let me give you a hint: the Temple of the Fire Sages is not exactly a military fortress. One spy, arriving at night by air, rather than by boat? It could easily go unnoticed. And then they would know _exactly_ who the Avatar was.”

Katara’s face turned ashen. “But...but they were pacifists!”

Azula snorted. “Tell that to the hundreds who died seeking justice for a murdered prince. So many of them never even got close enough to stand a chance.” Her voice was soft. “Do you know what a typhoon looks like? How about a tornado?” She shuddered. “I’ve seen the records the Fire Sages kept. Including the casualty reports. Dozens of soldiers swept off the sides of mountains, falling hundreds, sometimes thousands of feet. And knowing they would die as soon as they hit the ground.”

Sokka shivered. That sounded like a really awful way to die. But something in her story wasn’t quite adding up. “How did you know it was the Air Nomads who were to blame? What if he just went down in a storm on the way there or something?”

“Shoze.” Zuko’s voice was hardly more than a hoarse whisper. He was, in Sokka’s opinion, far too pale for comfort. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. “He was there too.”

Azula nodded. “Domain Lord Shoze was sent to accompany the prince. He was the one who had organized the trade that was being disputed, after all. It made sense for him to go along. And thank Agni he did.” Azula sighed. “He was attacked, along with the prince. If it moves fast enough, air can cut through flesh and bone just as easily as steel. He managed to get down the mountain and to a nearby harbor town. There were a few Fire Nation merchants moored there. He told them everything about how the Air Nomads had betrayed them and murdered the prince, before he finally succumbed to his injuries.”

The deep, rumbling growl that followed caused everyone to freeze. Their eyes all snapped to Druk, and to the frankly furious-looking Zuko who had just sat bolt upright from where he'd been leaning against the dragon. His shoulders were hunched, clenched fists trembling with barely-contained anger. He bowed his head, seeming to be struggling to try and contain his rage. 

Sokka swallowed nervously as he felt the wind starting to pick up. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. _Something's wrong. Something bad is about to happen_. But he had no idea how to stop it.

Then Zuko’s head snapped up, lone eye opening in a blinding glow as wind whipped around him and the fire went out.

*********

Rage.

That was all Zuko felt. The rest of the world melted away in place of a growing, uncontrollable wrath that whipped up inside him like an inferno. _Don’t move. Don’t do anything. Don’t hurt anyone_. Because he knew the moment he moved, his rage would burn like the fire it was. And firebenders knew the importance of control. _One wrong move, and everything goes up. Stay still. Concentrate. Agni, let them stay away. Don’t give me a target_. Then he heard approaching footsteps, and his head shot up. “Get away!” _Oh spirits, no, please tell me they were too far away to get burned_. 

Then he blinked in surprise. No fire had come with his shout, even though he was sure it would have. He’d definitely not been in control of his bending. 

The woman standing across from him smiled from behind familiar warpaint. “Don’t worry, Zuko. You won’t hurt me. You won’t hurt anyone here. It’s why I pulled you away.” She gestured around at what Zuko belatedly realized were entirely new surroundings. Sunlight dappled faintly through a canopy of leaves overhead. The ground was soft, covered in lush moss and grass. Trees rose up as a comfortable barrier all around them, surrounding the clearing where the pair were.

Zuko looked back at the woman who had spoken, taking in her familiar warpaint, fans, and outfit. He swallowed hard. “Avatar Kyoshi.”

She smiled, sitting down across from him. “No need for formalities. I’m your own past life, after all. Just Kyoshi is fine.”

Zuko shakily settled down, allowing some of the tension to ease out of him. “What is this place?”

Kyoshi shrugged. “What do you think? It’s the spirit world.”

“But…” Zuko felt like he was struggling to catch up on what had happened. “How did I get here? I’m not dead.”

He received a snort in response. “You’re the Avatar. The bridge between the human world and the spirit world. You don’t have to be dead to pass between them.”

Zuko shook his head. “But I didn’t mean to! How did I even get here?” How will I get back? He felt panic starting to rise in his chest.

Kyoshi held up a staying hand. “Stop. There’s no need to panic. I was the one who pulled you here. Had I not, things would have...ended badly.” She held up a shield, so polished that it reflected like a mirror. Zuko saw himself for the briefest of moments before the surface rippled like water. Suddenly he saw the campsite he’d been at moments before. The fire was doused, and the trees all around were bending dangerously in the high winds that whipped through the camp. 

Katara and Azula seemed to be sheltering in the crevice between two large rocks to keep from being blown away. Both of their eyes were wide with alarm. Sokka was crouched ahead of them. His mouth was moving, and Zuko was fairly certain he was yelling something, but the reflection carried no sound to him. The vision moved, showing him Druk curled up on the ground. And in the shelter of the dragon’s body was...him.

Zuko’s breath left him as he saw the look of fury twisting his own face, his lone visible eye glowing with white-blue energy. He jerked his head up to look at Kyoshi. “What’s happening?”

She sighed, lowering the shield. “The Avatar is more than just a human who can bend all four elements. We are also the bearers of the World Spirit. And sometimes, when we lose ourselves to our emotions, when we are truly no longer in control, the World Spirit will step in. Usually it’s a good thing. The World Spirit takes over when its bearer is about to die, for instance, and can save them from such a fate. That’s how you ended up trapped in an iceberg for a century. Had the World Spirit not acted, you would have drowned.”

Zuko shifted. “But...I’m not in danger right now. I’m just at camp and…”

“And you lost control.” Kyoshi shrugged. “It happens, sometimes. I pulled you away before you could do any damage. That’s why your body is just sitting there right now. The World Spirit is keeping you safe. And I’m here to calm you down.”

Zuko looked up at her with open anguish. “This is all my fault. If I had just dealt with Shoze before we ever went to the temple, then none of this would have happened!”

Kyoshi sighed. “And if I had stopped Chin the Conqueror sooner, there would be many more hundreds, if not thousands, who would have survived. Regretting what we did or didn’t do in the past will not fix things.” Her face was serious, although her tone was far more gentle than Zuko might have expected. “Shoze lied. The war itself is based on a lie. So tell me, what are you going to do about it?”

Zuko bit his lip. “I have to stop it. It’s just...wrong.”

He got a nod at that. “Alright. So how are you going to do it?”

That stopped him in his tracks as his brain worked furiously on the problem. _What can I do? Leyi was right, nobody would believe who I am. Except maybe Azulon would recognize me. But how do I get close enough to talk to him?_ His brother was the Fire Lord now, and with a war going on? There was no way any outsiders were getting anywhere close to meeting with him. 

Zuko’s head jerked up at a sudden realization. _What about someone who’s not an outsider? Sokka said that the admiral called Azula ‘your Highness’ which means she has to be royalty_. “Azula could help me talk with my brother.” He looked up at Kyoshi almost desperately. “She’s got to be related to him, right?”

Kyoshi smiled. “Not bad. You’ve been paying attention. Yes, Azula is related to your brother. She’s his granddaughter, actually. Her father is Azulon’s younger son.” She nodded. “Alright. That should be enough.”

Zuko blinked in surprise. “What? That’s it?”

She shrugged. “If you calmed down enough to think that through, then you’re calm enough for me to send you back.” She stood, brushing dust off her kimono. “I recommend you still go to the Northern Water Tribe first. You don’t want any more damage to become permanent than what already has.” Stepping close, she placed one hand on his chest and the other on his forehead. Her eyes flashed with bright light for the briefest of moments, and Zuko descended into darkness.


	15. Air Spirit

Sokka gritted his teeth, trying desperately to brace himself from being swept away by the wind. Unbidden, Azula’s warnings about airbenders rose back up in his brain. _“Do you know what a typhoon looks like? How about a tornado? I’ve seen the records the Fire Sages kept. Including the casualty reports. Dozens of soldiers swept off the sides of mountains, falling hundreds, sometimes thousands of feet. And knowing they would die as soon as they hit the ground.”_ Sokka was suddenly very glad that they were on plains, and not at the top of a mountain as he felt himself sliding backwards ever so slightly from the force of the winds.

_What in the name of the spirits is going on? One minute we’re getting a history lesson, and then_...He swallowed hard. He’d only seen this glow twice before. Once coming from a huge iceberg that rose from the depths of the ocean, and the other... _When Kyoshi showed up, Zuko’s eyes glowed like that too_. 

Another almighty gust caught him, blowing him backwards into a rock wall and knocking the breath out of him. “Sokka!” His sister’s shout was concerned, and he felt her helping pick him back up. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a spirit,” Azula shouted over the howling wind and terrifying creaking of trees. “I don’t know why, but an angry spirit has possessed your friend. Did you know he was a sage?” 

Sokka gave her a baffled look. “What does being some wise elder have to do with spirits?”

He received a frustrated groan in response. “What do your people call them?” Azula seemed to wrack her brain for a minute before it hit her. “Spirit-speaker! That’s what you called me. Well, did you know he was one too?”

_Well, I guess that’s one way to deal with this. If she just thinks it’s a normal spirit, not that he’s the Avatar...Yeah, I can work with that_. He gritted his teeth as another huge gust blasted past them before answering. “Kind of? He had a ghost talk through him once, but he never did anything like this!” There was also no way he would mention that said ghost was Avatar Kyoshi, or that she was Zuko’s past life. 

Gold eyes squinted over at where Druk had laid down around Zuko to protect him from blown debris. “How did you make the ghost release its hold on him?”

Sokka blinked. “Wait, that’s possible?” At Azula’s incredulous stare, he shrugged. “Look, we didn’t know what was happening. Someone hit him, a ghost took over for a bit, she said what she wanted, and then she just left!”

Azula’s already pale face seemed to whiten even further. “That’s not good. If he doesn’t know how to shake off a spirit…” She took a deep breath. “We need to help him. You’ve known him longer than I have. Try and...remind him of who he is. Give him something to focus on that the spirit won’t be able to.” Sokka felt his stomach drop. _How in the hell am I supposed to do that?!_ Unfortunately for him, that seemed to be all the instruction Azula was going to give him as she braced herself and Katara against a large rock, squinting her eyes to watch Zuko through the blowing dirt clouds that the wind had kicked up.

Sokka gritted his teeth, bending low and forcing his way forwards through the winds. _Remind him of who he is?_ I _don’t know who he is! He’s Fire Nation and apparently a prince, not to mention the fact that he’s the Avatar!_ As that last thought flew through his brain, Sokka felt a chill run down his spine. _He’s the Avatar. Gran Gran always said that the Avatar is the bridge between our world and the spirit world. That’s_ part of who he is. _So how much good will trying to help him remember himself really do?_

_Damn it. I have to at least try, or we’re all going to be blown away_. “Zuko!” The wind swept past, tearing away his shouted words so quickly he had no idea if Zuko would have even heard them. “Zuko, you have to snap out of this! I get that you’re probably upset over everything, and I don’t blame you for being mad. A lot has happened that really wasn’t fair to you, and if it happened to me I’d want to hunt down whoever was responsible and make them pay. But they’re not here! We are!”

_It’s not just that they’re not here_ , Sokka realized as the words left his mouth. _They’re dead. Everyone who started the war is dead_. He shivered slightly. No one to seek justice from. No one to see punished for your suffering. No way to make things right. To Sokka, that sounded like hell. The Water Tribes depended on that justice. For unjust acts there must be consequences. Whether those were meted out by the chief or by the tribe as a whole, there was always some retribution. That way the spirits and people harmed could rest, knowing justice had been carried out and balance had been restored.

Sokka swallowed hard, remembering one of the first things Zuko had ever said to him. _“Look, the last thing I remember was trying to save a kid from a snake weasel of a noble before catching a face full of fire.”_ Sokka’s eyes widened. _If Zuko was the prince in that story, and this Shoze guy was the noble...Oh, man._ It was no wonder Zuko was so angry. The noble who burned him was remembered as a hero. 

Suddenly the eerie blue-white glow that had lit their surroundings flared to an almost blinding intensity. Sokka shut his eyes against the light before it seemingly flickered and died. He blinked into the newly-restored haze of pre-dawn light, trying to clear his vision of the spots dancing across it. There was a soft _thump_ as Zuko collapsed to the ground in a heap, just as he’d done on Kyoshi Island.

Sokka jogged forward as Druk unwound himself from where he’d surrounded Zuko. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Azula and Katara hurrying over as well. Katara gently turned Zuko so that he wasn’t lying on his burned side, checking him over for injuries. Azula eyed Sokka with an open curiosity that he found himself unable to ignore. “What?”

She hummed. “I heard what you were shouting. One wouldn’t think it would be as...effective as it appears to have been.”

Sokka shrugged. “You’re the spirit-speaker, not me. Maybe it just left, like Ky-... like the ghost did.”

Azula raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. At least you know enough not to speak the name of something you don’t want the attention of. I think we’ve had quite enough excitement for one night.” Which made absolutely no sense to Sokka. _What is she...?_ Then he remembered some of the spirit tales Gran Gran used to tell. Of the people who got the attention of spirits they shouldn’t have. _“There’s a good reason we don’t use the Face-Stealer’s name,”_ she had warned. _“Names hold power. Don’t use a name if you don’t want its owner’s attention.”_

A groan drew his attention, and he stared in surprise as Zuko’s good eye flickered open. Katara seemed just as shocked. “You’re awake?”

Zuko winced slightly at the loud question. “Ow...yeah, seems like it.” He groaned, sitting up with some assistance from Katara. “Feels like I got trampled by a komodo rhino stampede, though.”

Azula snorted softly. “Worse. Some spirit decided to possess you. I guess that’s one way to find out you’re a sage.” She carefully restacked windblown sticks, lighting their fire once again. It blazed an unnatural blue for a brief moment before settling down into a normal red-orange color. She sat down, looking intently between Zuko, Sokka, and Katara. Sokka felt his stomach drop at the considering expression on her face. “And now it’s time for some explanations. No more dodging around things. I want to know who you are, right now.”

*********

Azula saw Sokka try and fail to hide a wince, and her eyes narrowed. _You thought I didn’t realize what you were doing, trying to lead the conversation away from certain topics. Please, I grew up in the palace. Nobles are far more subtle than some Water Tribe warrior who’s been off the ice for less than a month_. Azula wanted answers, and she wanted them now. Her eyes fixed on Zuko. _He was angry before because they lied to him. Let’s see how truthful he’ll be himself_.

Sokka spoke up before Zuko had a chance, and Azula carefully hid her flash of frustration. “Look, we didn’t have time to tell you he was a spirit-speaker. We were kind of busy with the wolfbats and that crazy admiral, if you don’t remember.”

Azula raised an eyebrow. _Yet another redirection_. She supposed it made sense. If her uncle’s study of the other elements was correct, water was the element of adaptability. Waterbenders had the signature style of taking their opponents’ attacks and redirecting it into an offensive of their own. _And it seems_ , Azula mused to herself, _that such tactics aren’t just reserved to the benders_. “Spirit-speaker or not, sage or not, what just happened should not have happened.”

Katara frowned, looking genuinely confused. “What do you mean?” 

_Either she’s a far better actor than I gave her credit for, or she’s actually that innocent when it comes to spirits_. Azula was willing to bet the latter. “What I mean,” she said dryly, “is that if a spirit has taken hold of someone, as one just did with Zuko, then they must either be appeased, or else forced to leave. Overpowering a human’s chi takes far too much energy for a spirit to do it casually. If one does so, then it wants something. Spirits don’t just leave.”

Sokka shifted. “The ghost did. The one I told you about.”

Azula raised an eyebrow. “Ghosts were once human. And humans have far less chi than spirits. A ghost might take over for a few minutes before they lose their grip and are forced to let go. A spirit will not. And even if that weren’t the case,” she fixed an analytical eye on Zuko, “you’re Fire Nation. So would anyone like to tell me why it seems an _air spirit_ decided to latch onto you?” _Was it just me, or did both of those Water Tribesmen wince?_ “It’s easiest for spirits to take control of those born of their element. Except you’re very clearly a firebender.”

Sokka shrugged, trying just a little too hard to act casual. Azula watched him with narrowed eyes. _He knows something_. “In case you didn’t notice, there’s not exactly any airbenders around here.”

“Except in that case,” Azula huffed, “the spirit would find it easiest to be channeled through the one who was the best trained in allowing them to manifest. As in me.” She gave Zuko a hard look. “I trained for several years with the Fire Sages. And I’ve never seen you before in my life. You’ve never been to the temple. So tell me why.”

“Well, what about Druk?” Sokka’s voice had a noticeably nervous edge to it. “He flies, so maybe-”

“Sokka, stop it.” Zuko cut him off with a tired wave of his hand. “She needs to know the truth. All of it.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Azula’s careful eyes picked up where his hand paused, as if expecting the topknot that certainly wasn’t there now. _He’s used to wearing one. Did he take it down to blend in better in the Earth Kingdom?_ Her gaze flitted back down to meet a sad, serious golden gaze. “You deserve to know everything. Even if you don’t believe me.”

Sokka cleared his throat nervously. “Uh, Zuko? Are you...are you really sure that’s a good idea?”

Zuko nodded. “I am. And I know you have no reason to trust the Fire Nation, but _I_ have a reason to trust _her_.”

Azula raised an eyebrow. _Well, he does know I’m part of the royal family. I suppose that means he’s loyal to Grandfather_. That made her relax ever so slightly. She could work with that, for now. “So you know why the air spirit chose you?”

Zuko sighed. “It wasn’t an air spirit.”

Azula grew very still. “You may not remember what happened, but I certainly do. The winds were so strong that some of the trees nearly uprooted. There’s nothing else it could have been. As Sokka so kindly pointed out, there are no airbenders nearby.”

Zuko winced slightly, seeming to be trying to figure out how to phrase what he said next. “Technically that’s...not entirely true.” Azula tensed, raising up into a defensive position, ready to ward off attack as her gaze swept the treeline. Zuko hurriedly raised a hand to stop her. “Wait! It’s okay, there’s no danger.”

_Is he insane?! Of course there’s a danger_. Azula had grown up with full knowledge of what airbenders were capable of. The intense battles between their nations were things in the history books taught to every child of the Fire Nation, royalty or not. “If there are airbenders nearby, they will attack if they see you or me.”

Zuko shook his head. “No, I won’t.”

Azula froze, her gaze darting back to him. She hurriedly reconfirmed the pale gold color of his visible eye. _There’s no way he just said what I think he did_. “You’re...That’s impossible. You can’t be.” She gestured at Druk. “You’re bonded to a dragon!” Her hand flew to point at the campfire, which she distinctly remembered _Zuko_ lighting the first time, before a spirit's wind had doused it. “I’ve seen you firebend!”

Zuko nodded. “Yes, you have. Because I’m a firebender. But I’m also an airbender. And, I suppose, a waterbender and an earthbender too.” He sighed. “What you saw wasn’t an air spirit that was angry. It was the World Spirit. And it was protecting me when I lost control.”

Azula felt as though all the air had been stolen from her lungs. Unbidden, memories of the Fire Sages’ teachings rose in her mind. _“The Avatar is the bridge of the spirit world and the human world, the balance of the four elements in one person. They are human, and yet they are not. Because while the human may die, the spirit they carry with them, the World Spirit, will simply be reincarnated.”_ Slowly she took a steadying breath, looking over Zuko carefully. “You’re the Avatar?”

He nodded again. “I only found out a few weeks ago.” 

She frowned. “Found out? How? The Fire Sages have no record of any Avatar at all for the past hundred years.” She groaned softly as another realization hit her. “Records. Oh, Agni, and I thought the history books were going to be hard to keep track of _before_. You just _had_ to be the Avatar and named after the last Fire Nation Avatar, didn’t you.”

Zuko coughed slightly, seeming to be struggling to hide a smile. “Those history books might be a bit easier to sort out than you might think.” His face grew serious then. “But this is also the hardest part to believe. If I hadn’t lived it myself, I don’t think I would have believed it either. But I need you to believe me, Azula.” His voice hitched ever so slightly on her name. “I need your help.”

Azula’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What exactly are you asking for my help with?”

“Stopping the war.” Zuko’s gaze was sad. “This war is wrong. It’s hurting the balance of the whole world. Nations are tearing themselves apart. It has to stop. There needs to be peace.”

She gave him a considering look. _He wants the war to stop. Fine. I want the war to end too. But there’s only one way that can happen_. “We weren’t the ones who started this war. And if we draw back now, those who have allied with us will be slaughtered before our enemies turn their attention to our home islands.”

Katara’s head jerked up. “The Fire Nation is the one who attacked first! What do you mean you didn’t start the war?”

Azula slashed her hand through the air, a heat haze shimmering in its wake. “Wrong! Your friend the Avatar should know better than anyone. This war started when his predecessor and namesake was betrayed and murdered!”

“ _No, I wasn’t!_ ” Zuko’s voice cracked through the air like a whip as the campfire flared. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. The flames receded back to their normal height, and when he spoke again, his voice was far calmer. “No, I wasn’t. I was betrayed, yes. But I wasn’t murdered.” He gave her a sad smile. “I told you this would be the hardest part to believe. I was hoping some of the family resemblance might help, but I guess this doesn’t really help matters.” He gestured to the bandage covering half of his face.

Azula’s mind was racing. _‘I.’ He said_ ‘I’. _Add onto that what he’d said about family resemblance_...Azula felt a cold chill go down her spine, as if someone had poured ice water down her back. She shook her head. _That’s not possible_.

And yet she could see it.

When she looked closely at him, she could almost see what he was talking about. Some of the old portraits she’d seen hung on the walls of the palace...And something far nearer, lodged within her own memory. “Lu Ten…” she breathed his name, scarcely believing it herself. _He looks like Lu Ten did when he was younger_. 

Zuko tilted his head. “Who’s Lu Ten?”

Azula swallowed hard. “He’s my cousin.”

Understanding seemed to light up Zuko’s eye. “Ah. This is the cousin you mentioned earlier?” At her nod, he smiled softly. “Nice to know that I still look close enough to someone in the family, even with this.” Again he gestured to the bandages on his face. “But, if you’d like a little bit more proof…” He shifted, reaching up into one of the bags attached to Druk’s saddle. He pulled down a small cloth bundle, passing it to Azula. “I haven’t worn it while we were in the Earth Kingdom. Didn’t want to stick out too much if I could avoid it.”

Azula took the small bundle with some trepidation. It seemed to be simple blue cloth wrapped around some hard, oddly-shaped object. Carefully she unwound the wrappings, the cloth falling away to allow engraved gold to glint in the firelight. Azula stared at the hairpiece, hardly daring to believe what her eyes told her was true. “This is…”

Zuko leaned forward, gently taking it out of her hands. “It’s the hairpiece of the prince of the Fire Nation. Specifically the one that my father had made for me for my tenth birthday.” He raised his hands up to his hair, starting to tease loose strands up into a topknot. The first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon, glinting off of golden bands engraved to look like a dragon with an open mouth. He slid the hairpiece into place with practiced ease, finishing with the retaining pin designed to look like fire coming from the dragon’s mouth.

He settled down again, looking her up and down. It was a look Azula realized she had seen countless times. On her father. On her uncle. On Lu Ten. And on herself. It was a look reserved for court dealings and political negotiations. Controlled. Analytical. The look of royalty and generals, devising plans and strategies to ensure their victory, no matter the opposition. She suppressed a shiver as Zuko finally spoke again. “So, now you have your answers. You know who I am. The question now is, what are you going to do next?”


	16. The War

Azula felt more than saw the two pairs of blue eyes and the lone golden one all fixed on her. All waiting and watching, trying to gauge her reaction. But even she couldn’t tell what she was feeling. Doubt and disbelief warred with the evidence of her own eyes. _This is impossible_ danced around, chasing after _He channeled a spirit that could control the wind_. His name, the dragon at his side, even the hairpiece thought lost along with a prince lost a century past whose body was never found.

_This is too much of a coincidence_ , she finally decided. _I know the spirits have a sense of humor, but this many details lining up so perfectly is impossible. So assuming he’s telling the truth_...Her eyes swept over night-black hair and smooth, wrinkleless skin. Finally she found her voice once again. “I...How?”

Zuko raised an eyebrow. It clearly wasn’t the answer to the question he had asked. “You might need to be a bit more specific.”

“How are you alive? And so young!” Azula felt herself starting to frown. “You look the same age as the history books say you were when you died.” _Lost at fifteen, mere weeks away from his sixteenth birthday. Every account agrees on that. So how do you look younger than Lu Ten?_

Zuko nodded. “When I was attacked, Druk flew away with me, trying to take me to healers in the Southern Water Tribes. I’m not sure how, but we apparently fell into the ocean, and according to Kyoshi, if the Avatar State hadn’t taken over, I would have drowned. As it stands Druk and I were frozen in an iceberg for what has apparently been nearly a century.”

Azula’s frown deepened. _Something here just isn’t adding up_. “Why did Druk just take you? Lord Shoze was injured as well. Why not rescue you both?”

Zuko’s nostrils flared with anger and the campfire between them seemed to swell in size slightly. “I would imagine it was because Shoze was the one who attacked me. The last thing I remember he was unhurt and blasting a fireball at my face.”

Azula felt the blood draining from her face. _No. That couldn’t be true. There’s no way_. She shook her head in denial, although she wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Zuko or herself. “That’s impossible...The...The Air Nomads attacked. They were the ones who...”

His jaw tightened, and he struggled to keep his voice even. “The ones who killed me? And _who_ exactly told you that? That the _pacifistic monks_ attacked without provocation and killed someone _bonded to a dragon?_ If they really had killed me, do you really think that Druk would have just _flown away?!_ ” The campfire flared more, and Sokka and Katara started inching away from it uneasily. Zuko took a few steadying breaths, his eye gleaming with anger like the burning coals on the ground. “He _lied_ , Azula. The entire war is based on a _lie_.”

_“Never lie to a spirit.”_ The Dragon Sage’s teachings floated up through the turmoil of Azula’s mind like driftwood in a storm-torn sea. _“Spirits are not human. Honor them, appease them, but always tell them the truth. If you don’t, it will be the last mistake you ever make.”_ Azula swallowed hard. _The Avatar isn’t human, not fully. They carry the World Spirit. They are a spirit, at least in part_. Suddenly Zuko’s fury was starting to make a whole lot more sense. 

_Angry spirits lash out. So what does the angry_ Avatar _plan on doing?_ If even some of the legends about Avatar Kyoshi could be believed, things tended to end very badly for those who the Avatar deemed had damaged the balance of the world. Azula bit her lip. “What do you plan on doing?”

Zuko frowned. “Stopping this war.”

Azula blinked. _That...didn’t sound like a plan. More like a goal_. “Alright. But how?”

He sighed. “I suppose part of that depends on what you plan to do, Azula. If you decide to help me, then I was hoping you could arrange a meeting with my brother, so that I can prove to him who I am and show that there’s no reason for this war to go on.”

It took her a brief moment of mental gymnastics to realize that by his brother, he meant her grandfather. _He thinks I can get him not only past the blockade, but all the way to an audience with the Fire Lord while our country is at war?!_ And then the second half of his statement belatedly processed, and suddenly Azula found she had far bigger problems to deal with. _There’s no way he’s that naive_. 

History called the Dragon Prince many things, but naive was not one of them. And yet based on the look on his face, it seemed that Zuko truly believed what he had just said. Azula felt her stomach drop. “You’re joking.”

Zuko’s frown deepened, and the campfire flared again. “This war is all based on a lie. Things need to be set right.”

_Oh, Agni, he’s serious_. Azula took a deep breath. “The war was _started_ based on a lie. But now? A hundred years is a very long time. Trust me, every nation has a lot more reasons to continue the war than just one dead prince, even the Avatar. If your death was truly the only reason Grandfather kept the war going, there would have been a rebellion by now to remove him from the throne.” She gestured towards Sokka and Katara. “If you don’t believe me, just ask them. Their tribe didn’t even know why the war started. That didn’t stop them from fighting. Someone attacked them, so they fought back. Now think about how much that’s happened in the last century. _Everyone_ has lost someone to the war.” 

Zuko huffed in frustration. “And that’s a cycle that’s just going to keep going until someone decides to stop fighting or the whole world is dead!” 

Katara bit her lip, catching Azula’s attention as she scooted forward. “Gran Gran always says that you can’t fix something if you don’t know what made it break in the first place. Maybe finding out how the war started will help us figure out how to end it.”

The campfire flared again. “The war started because Shoze lied,” Zuko snarled. Katara flinched back at the venom in his voice.

_This is going to be complicated_ , Azula thought, settling herself down to be comfortable. It would take a long time to explain. Silently she was very grateful for all of the lessons in history and politics she'd been forced to sit through. “You’re partially right.” Zuko’s gaze swung back to her, and she shrugged. “Have a little more faith in your family and your nation. We didn’t go to war on just the word of one noble. Fire Lord Sozin ordered an _investigation_ , not an invasion. He sent soldiers, yes, but also a Fire Sage and one of his most trusted nobles.”

Sokka grunted. “Why send soldiers if he didn’t want to attack?”

Azula huffed. “Protection. The last people he sent to the temple were trained firebenders with a dragon to defend them. And both were now dead, or at least,” she inclined her head to Zuko, “reported to be dead. So they went to investigate. But they were turned away.”

Katara’s head rose. “Turned away? Why?”

Old anger, outrage for her nation stirred in Azula, but she set it aside. She needed to keep a clear head. “Because according to the Elders, the last time the Fire Nation came for peaceful talks, they brought violence to the temple. And this time we arrived with soldiers. They refused entry so that we could investigate to see if the prince was even still at the temple.” She sighed. “And then the prince’s birthday came. And the Sages revealed that he, or rather, _you_ , were the Avatar. There was outrage. Our people began to speculate that the temple had kidnapped you to train you as their Avatar. Large forces of soldiers were mustered, each sent to one of the four temples to search for you.”

Sokka winced. “And the temples took that as an invasion.”

“Not just the temples.” Azula shook her head. “Think about where the temples are. One in each corner of the world. The Western Air Temple lay in Fire Nation lands. The other three did not. And while the coastal towns of the Earth Kingdom had regular dealings with the Fire Nation, and many were on our side of the argument, the Earth King in Ba Sing Se was not. He took the march on the Eastern Air Temple as an invasion of his lands. And so his army attacked ours, and suddenly we were at war with the Earth Kingdom, and it was at war with itself. Old allyships and rivalries with various Southern Water Tribes were dragged into the mix on both sides. And the Temple Elders proved that they were not as pacifistic as you might believe them to have been.”

Sokka blinked, seeming to think something through. “So all the talk of the Fire Nation invading the Earth Kingdom for colonies...What’s your side of that?”

_Not bad. You’re thinking things through_. “The colonies started as towns offering their harbors and supplies for our soldiers. Then the Earth King decided that constituted rebellion against the throne. He was sending his army to invade those towns and force them to obey him again. So of course the Fire Nation sent our own soldiers to defend our allies. And then at some point some general thought that if we controlled the area surrounding the towns, then those towns themselves would be in less danger.” Her face darkened. “Although, I will of course admit that there are unscrupulous soldiers in every nation. There are some, even now in positions of power like Admiral Zhao, who try to use this war to further their own agendas. Those people need to be stopped, and be brought to justice for what they have done.”

She caught sight of Zuko’s face and had to contain a wince. _Oh, Agni, he looks so lost_.

_And how would you feel_ , that little voice inside her reasoned, _if you last remembered a world of peace only to be betrayed and wake up to a century of carnage?_ She hid another wince. As it stood, there was no lasting damage from Zuko’s loss of control. If it was her, she would have probably done far worse than just blow some dirt around. _Be honest with yourself. You would have burned this forest to the ground_. And if not the forest, then at the very least she would be on the hunt to make those responsible pay. _And how would you do that? Everyone who started the war, from Shoze to Great-Grandfather to the forty-ninth Earth King, all of them are dead and gone. Even the temples are empty_. 

Zuko’s voice broke her out of her musings. It was cracked and distraught, barely audible over the crackling fire, but there was an edge of determination hidden within it. “The war needs to stop. It’s...a lot more complicated than I thought it was, but we need to find a way to stop it. I just...don’t know where to start.”

_I’d be amazed if you did_ , Azula thought to herself. Even she had no idea how anyone would go about ending this drawn out, bloody conflict. To her surprise, it was Sokka who spoke up. “Sometimes you don’t know what to do that would fix everything. Like if you get caught out on the ice fields and your canoe breaks. You don’t know if you’ll be able to make it all the way back to the tribe safely.” 

Azula had to grit her teeth to stop herself from speaking up and berating Sokka. _Oh, just great. Give him some hopeless story about freezing to death. That will cheer him up_. However, before she lost the battle of wills with herself, Sokka continued. “But that doesn’t mean you just sit down and wait to freeze. You figure out what direction the village is. You think about what the best route might be. And then you start walking.” 

Zuko gave him a confused look. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Katara spoke up then. “What he’s trying to say is don’t get caught up doing nothing while you try to figure out the perfect plan. Decide the next thing you need to do, and figure out the rest on the way.” Which was, as Azula reflected, a perfect summation of waterbending, and apparently the Water Tribes in general. Water was the element of adaptability and change. To take whatever adversity was thrown your way and shift with it to end up in a better position, like riding the currents so a boat didn’t capsize. 

Zuko let out a distressed noise. “But I don’t know what to do next! Everything has changed so much and so much has gone wrong that I don’t even know where to start.”

Sokka shrugged. “We were already doing it, weren’t we?” He gestured. “You need a healer to take care of that eye. And yeah, it won’t be perfect, but if they can help even a little, then that’s something. The Northern Water Tribe is neutral. Has been for pretty much the whole war. If we can talk them into helping out our tribe, then great. Even if we can’t, those Kyoshi Warriors promised to help out and keep everyone safe.”

Azula felt herself stop and stare at Sokka. _There’s no way he just said what I think he did_. She was so taken aback that it took her a moment to find her voice. “Who said they’d protect your tribe?” She tried to keep her voice as even as possible, but even then her question came out just a little strangled. 

Sokka grunted. “We stopped on Kyoshi Island by mistake on our way to the Earth Kingdom. We thought it was an uninhabited island when we landed.” As Azula continued to stare he tilted his head. “What?”

“Kyoshi Island,” she began hesitantly, “has been neutral for the entire war. Any ships that even get close to the island are never heard from again. If they have decided to start participating in the war…” She shivered. _If they decide to side against the Fire Nation, our losses would be massive. Spirits, what a nightmare_. 

Katara’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Suki said that the island was staying neutral. Just she and some of the other warriors were going to help defend our village. Since our tribe is technically considered neutral, they’re not exactly taking any sides in the war.”

“Yet.” All eyes turned to look at Zuko. “They’re not taking any sides yet. Leyi told me they’re staying neutral unless I pick a side. She said they owed me everything because of what Kyoshi did for them.”

Azula nodded. That area of history she knew rather well. “When Avatar Kyoshi separated the island from the mainland, she did kill Chin the Conqueror. However, the records seem to indicate that was more of a lucky happenstance rather than any deliberate plan on her part. Even so, had Chin not died, she would have saved the inhabitants of what is now Kyoshi Island from being invaded and pillaged by Chin’s forces.”

Zuko groaned. “Great. Now I’ve got warriors ready to go to war for something my past life did. I want the war to stop, not to take a side in it.”

Raising an eyebrow at him, Azula felt her mouth twitch in a wry smile. “And what do you think everyone participating in the war wants? Everyone wants the war over with. The problem is that not everyone agrees on what they want the world to look like after the fighting is over.” She sighed, her face growing more serious. “You asked what I plan on doing. I plan on stopping the war. The world is out of balance, and it has been for a very long time. The Fire Sages suspect that imbalance is what caused the Avatar cycle to be broken.”

Katara shifted. “But it’s not broken.”

Azula inclined her head. “I know that now. But I also know that you won’t be able to restore balance if you’re not balanced yourself.” At Zuko’s confused look, she shrugged. “There are no records of you ever being declared a firebending master. The Avatar is supposed to be the master of all four elements in order to balance them properly in the world.” _And that’s not even touching what you know or don’t know about the spirits. Agni, I hope it’s more than the other two seem to know_. “So what I plan on doing next is seeing you safely to the healers of the North Pole, and serving as your firebending teacher while we look for an airbender to start training you.”

Zuko frowned. “How will that help me stop the war?”

Azula hummed. “If all you understand is Fire and the nation born of it, how can you hope to make peace with Water’s tribes, or Earth’s kingdom, or the nomads born of Air?”

“Uh…” Sokka cleared his throat awkwardly. “The temples are kind of...gone. How are you going to learn from a nation that isn’t there anymore?”

She saw Zuko flinch at Sokka’s words and held up a staying hand. “It’s true, the Temple Elders all fell in the end, and the ways of the Air Monks and Nuns were lost.” A smirk twitched her lips. “But you forget that air is the element of freedom. If there can be more than one Water Tribe, what makes you think there was just one way of life for the Air Nomads?”


	17. Northward

_There are still airbenders_. That thought had lingered in Katara’s mind long after their conversation with Azula had ended. Even when the rest of the group turned in for the night, Katara found herself laying awake, pondering it with warring amounts of awe and hope...and just a sliver of fear. _The world isn’t quite so broken as we feared_ , that hopeful voice inside of her whispered. But that scared and angry voice that had appeared after her mother died and her father left wouldn’t let the hope stand unchallenged. _The temples were pacifists. That doesn’t mean all airbenders are_. 

She shivered slightly at the thought, pulling her blankets in tighter around herself. Azula’s descriptions of airbenders in battle had been terrifying. If some chose to stand against her tribe... _How many of us would die this time? When the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation attacked, we lost almost a quarter of the village. And that was before the warriors left_. Almost angrily, Katara shoved those thoughts away. _We’ll survive and adapt, no matter what. We even have the Kyoshi Warriors to help now. It’ll be fine_. 

The next couple of days consisted of largely-uneventful flying. With Azula’s guidance, they managed to navigate around populated areas, not wanting to be seen as they made their way steadily northward. The days grew shorter, the nights long and cold, and Katara reminded herself that in this half of the world, it was winter. _Back home, the midnight sun is still up. It won’t rise in the North Pole again for quite some time. It’s not even the solstice yet_. 

The further north they went, the colder the air around them grew. Three days later found them making camp on the snowy northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. Azula and Zuko seemed to be getting more tense the more the group traveled, and even Druk seemed rather uneasy. Katara found herself exchanging more than one worried glance with her brother. _Tense firebenders are bad enough. A tense dragon could be real trouble. If only I knew what to do_. 

A particularly chilly gust of wind from the north blew through, making all four of them shiver. Azula grimaced, pulling close the spare coat Katara had lent her. “Agni, I never thought I’d be crazy enough to come this far north in winter.”

Katara tilted her head. “Because of the cold? I thought you had some kind of firebender trick to deal with it.” _Wasn’t that what Zuko said she did at that cave? Warm herself with firebending?_

Azula huffed. “The colder a firebender is, the harder it is for them to bend. I only have so much chi. It would be like asking you to hold back the tide all day and all night.” Katara made a face at that. _That would be impossible. Even hollowing out the ice caves for the tribe took me weeks_. Azula smiled at her. “Based on your expression, you see what I mean.” She sighed. “But no, the cold is not the only reason. Tell me, have you ever been taught about the elements and their relations to the seasons?”

Katara blinked, thinking back to Gran Gran’s many stories that had helped pass long winter nights when blizzards roared above them. “There’s an element for each season,” she recalled. “Water is winter, air is autumn, earth gets spring, and fire is summer.” She blinked, processing what she’d just said. _Oh, Tui and La, I feel so stupid now_. “The Fire Nation is warm, even in the winter. That’s why you don’t like it here.”

Azula shrugged. “In part, you’re right. But again, the temperature is not the only problem. Tell me, have you ever noticed that your waterbending is strongest in the winter?”

Katara stared at her, thinking back to every accomplishment and discovery she’d ever made in her bending. Almost all of them were in the winter, she realized. A few in the early spring or late autumn, but most were in the winter. It felt like her skill ebbed and flowed in a manner frustratingly similar to the tides, in fact. She had assumed it had to do with the nature of water. Now, however, she was far less certain.

Belatedly she realized that Azula was still watching her. Katara felt her cheeks warm just slightly in embarrassment, but Azula merely smiled. “Have you ever wondered why that might be?” When Katara shook her head, the Fire Nation girl continued. “You’ll be interested to know that the Fire Nation doesn’t have the same problem. Regardless of the season, our firebending power remains relatively the same. Although,” she gave Katara a knowing smile, “the length of our days doesn’t change from season to season.”

Katara frowned. “I don’t get it. What does the length of the day have to do with bending?”

Azula smirked. “The length of the day doesn’t. What matters is what’s in the sky, and for how long. The Water Tribes honor Tui and La in equal measure, I’m told. Both the moon and the ocean are important to your people and its benders. But the Fire Nation are children of the sun, and we look to Agni for our strength.”

Katara’s eyes widened as she finally put it together. “At the poles there’s no sun in the winter. The moon is always up.” She bit her lip. “Is it really a good idea for you and Zuko to come with us to the North Pole, then? Will you be alright?”

Azula let out a soft laugh. “Are you alright at the South Pole during the summer? When there is midnight sun for weeks? We’ll be fine. It may not be pleasant, but it won’t hurt us.”

Despite her reassurances, Katara felt worry gnawing at her after their conversation ended, like an isopup chewing on a bone. Every so often, while at camp or in flight, she found herself glancing nervously over Zuko, Azula, and even Druk. _What if Azula is wrong? What if they won’t be fine?_ Only memories of Gran Gran’s stories did anything to calm her. _The Avatar lives in each nation as they’re training in that element. And it can take years. Meaning Fire Nation Avatars have been through polar winters in the past_. She found herself clinging to that hope even more as the nights grew longer and longer, and icebergs rose into view in the distance.

*********

Zuko’s burn was throbbing again. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the soft pulses of pain shooting through the left side of his face. _It’s been getting worse the further north we go_. If he had to guess, Zuko assumed it was because of how cold the surrounding air had become. Casting a wry glance around at the ice floes in the water around them, Zuko thought he had a fairly good reason to think so. _At least it’s a little warmer when we’re flying this low. Even if it’s not by much_.

It was at Sokka’s recommendation that they had begun flying lower as they approached the Northern Water Tribe. He had reasoned that not only was it slightly warmer closer to the ocean than up in the clouds, but also they had a far better chance of actually spotting the Northern Water Tribe. Or at the very least, some of its tribesmen out fishing or hunting. 

Zuko huffed to himself. It had seemed a solid argument at the time, but flying lower meant covering less ground, and Zuko was eager to arrive at their destination. _As much as I love Druk, I’ve never flown on his back for nearly this long in the past. The Air Monks and Nuns may have been nomads, but I’m sure not_. Aside from that, they had been in what Zuko would have thought was the right area for two days now. And they had yet to see a single person outside of their own group. They had seen the occasional group of turtle seals and otter penguins, and even once what had looked like a pack of wild polar bear dogs, but they had yet to see a single northern tribesman.

Another blast of cold wind made Zuko wince, tugging at the hood of the blue coat he had been loaned from the Southern Water Tribe. Try as he might, it seemed he could never position it quite right to protect his injured face from the cold polar wind. He gave yet another fruitless glance around, grimacing as he struggled to peer through the dim twilight. _I miss the sun_. Even if the moon had passed the halfway mark quite some time ago and was very nearly full, that didn’t mean it was exactly easy to see. Zuko didn’t know how the Water Tribes could stand it, being completely without sun for entire months of the year. It felt as though there was an ache inside his chest, a faint pain and longing that froze his insides and made him feel as though he’d never be truly warm again. _Seems like Azula was right._

The Fire Nation princess -- his great-niece, and wasn’t that a strange thought indeed -- had warned Zuko that firebenders, even Avatars, had struggled in the poles during winter. _“We carry the blessings of Agni,”_ she had told him one night after they set up camp. _“To travel where his light won’t shine for months is a burden that any of us would struggle with. Even if you are the Avatar, you were born of Fire, just as I was, so you’ll struggle more than an Avatar of Earth or Air might.”_ Zuko grimaced, pain twinging in his face again. _I wish she had been wrong_. 

The pain pulled his attention, and he found himself wondering what his face would look like, once the bandages were finally removed. _One thing is certain, I’ll definitely have a scar_. Zuko doubted he could have avoided a scar in any situation, even if a waterbending healer had been present right when he’d been burned. _It’s been over a month since then. Or, I suppose, over a hundred years, depending on how you count it_. He shook his head, trying to clear that thought away. It frankly made his head hurt whenever he tried to think about the fact that he was now technically a hundred and sixteen years old. 

Zuko found that the concept of having a scar in and of itself didn’t bother him. No one got through life completely unharmed, after all. He recalled several generals and even a few nobles who had prominent scars in his childhood. No, what worried Zuko was not his appearance, but his senses. The burn had struck him almost directly on his eye, and ever since, trying to hear out of the ear on that side had felt like trying to listen to something on the other side of a thick wall. _Spirits, I hope the healers at the North Pole are as good as rumors used to claim. Otherwise I’m in serious trouble_. 

Years of training and experience had taught Zuko to rely on all his senses in a fight, whether that be when he wielded blades or bending. To have not one but two of his most useful senses damaged, and on the same side no less, had made Zuko feel vulnerable in a way he had not since he was just a little kid. _If it was just my eye, my hearing could compensate. If it was just my ear, I could make do with my peripheral vision. Both...fighting is very hard. I struggled against a pack of wolfbats, for Agni’s sake!_ And if mere wolfbats had been an issue, Zuko shuddered to think what would happen if he found himself facing a human fighter. Or even worse, a group of them. 

Zuko sincerely hoped that a healer would be able to restore his vision and hearing to what they were. But as a prince, he had not been raised to be foolishly optimistic. _“Hope for the best outcome,”_ his father had taught him, _“but always plan for the worst. That way, no matter what happens, you will always be prepared.”_ Zuko sighed. _Hope for the best. Hope that the healers can fix my eye and my hearing. But plan for the worst. Assume both will stay just as bad as they are right now. What can I do to deal with that?_

If his only opponents were to be firebenders, Zuko thought he’d likely be able to manage. Azula had been working with him every night to help him practice sensing fire, both flames in his surroundings like the campfire, as well as flames made by bending. He was far from perfect, but he was certainly improving. _But that only works against firebenders_ , Zuko reminded himself with a grimace. And there were more dangers in the world than just an angry firebender. 

When he had asked Katara about her waterbending, she had admitted she could sense her element in a similar way, if she put all her focus and concentration into it. Zuko had to assume that if it was true for both fire and water, that there must be something similar for air and earth as well. _But that still doesn’t solve everything_. He gave a frustrated huff, his breath pluming out in front of him in a visible cloud of vapor. _Not everyone I’ll have to deal with will be a bender_. He dreaded the thought of having to go up against someone like Master Shiva as he was now. She was an incredible warrior, and even with all of his senses and concentration, he still wasn’t always able to beat her.

Zuko grimaced, setting the thoughts aside for now. _Worrying about it without any ideas on how to solve it will get me nowhere. I’ll come back to this once I’ve had some time to think it over_. Hopefully by that point he would be able to come up with some potential solutions to his problem. Or, even better, he would find that he didn’t have the problem anymore, if the healers managed to restore what he’d lost. _Assuming we ever find them, that is_. 

An odd sound off to his right drew Zuko’s attention. The eerie, deep chirping echoes that they had heard since entering the ice fields were sounding again. According to Katara and Sokka, that was the sound made when ice below the surface was cracking while the ice on top of it stayed solid. Zuko thought it sounded like some kind of bizarre bird spirit.

The sounds resonated again, and Zuko frowned. _Something is off_. At first, he found that he had no idea what made him think that. But then, as he listened closer to the noises, he realized something. _There’s a quiet spot_. In an area ahead of them and slightly to the right, there was a place that the ice cracking almost seemed to skip, just behind a moderately tall iceberg.

Uneasiness started to gather in Zuko’s stomach. _Why would the ice crack everywhere but there?_ He swallowed hard, trying to push the worry away. _Maybe there’s a hole there, so there’s no ice to crack?_ But that didn’t make any sense. What could cause a hole in the middle of an otherwise-unbroken ice floe? 

_Bending can_ , a voice of warning inside him murmured. It sounded almost like Kyoshi. _Flames can melt a hole in ice, and waterbending may keep any ice solid when otherwise it would melt or crack_. Add that to the fact that it just so happened to be directly behind an iceberg tall enough to block their vision of the other side completely… _This is an ambush. And we’re about to fly right into it_. 

Zuko grimaced, reaching a hand back to grab the hilt of his dao. Just as his mouth opened to pass a word of warning to the others, however, there was a great _crash_ of water and ice shifting as the iceberg he was watching collapsed into the waves below. Three boats with blue markings darted forward, and the ocean erupted around them.

*********

Katara’s head had jerked around at the sound of crashing water and ice. A surge of hope welled up inside of her when she saw the blue-marked ships on the other side of the fallen iceberg. _Water Tribe! We’ve found them!_ Then that hope turned to horror as the calm ocean around them suddenly erupted upwards.

Walls of water rose around them on all sides, crashing inwards and threatening to swamp them. Druk roared, his huge wings sweeping downwards and carrying them up above the encroaching waves. _What’s happening? Why are they attacking us?_ Ahead of her on Druk’s back, she saw Zuko and Sokka both pull out their weapons, grim expressions on their faces. The air behind her began to heat up as well, and she knew that Azula was preparing to firebend, if she hadn’t begun to already.

_This is wrong. They shouldn’t be attacking us_. Katara reached out with her chi, grasping at any trace of water or ice she could find. _There has to be something else causing this_. 

Katara flinched in alarm as she felt something hit her chi and wrestle control away from her. Her hold on the water directly ahead of them was yanked away, as if a riptide had pulled her feet out from under her. She saw figures on the ships below sweep their arms, that same water she’d just lost hold of rising up in front of them. Then it shifted, the wall of water morphing into spikes of ice that glinted in the moonlight.

Katara’s eyes widened, and it was as if time had slowed down. She saw the glittering spikes of ice flying towards them, aimed directly at Druk’s wings. She sensed new walls of water surrounding them on all sides, trying to prevent escape in any direction. And deep within her, that visceral fear she had felt when she’d seen a boulder hurtling towards her and her brother as they fled their besieged village returned.

Her arms were moving before Katara even realized what she was doing. She put no thought into her actions, used none of the forms she had developed over the years. None of them were powerful enough for what she needed to do. Instead, her arms simply thrust out to either side, as if she was trying to separate two children who had gotten into a fight. Her chi burst forth in every direction as a scream tore itself from her lips. “No!”

Everything froze. 

There was an almighty _crack_ as every wave turned to ice. All of the ice spikes, which had been mere feet from striking Druk, halted in midair. On the ships below, benders in the middle of forms broke their stances with cries of alarm, looking up to see who had overpowered their control of the water. Katara herself was staring at the massive walls of eyes with wide eyes. _Did...Did I really do all of this?_

From one of the boats below them, a deep voice shouted up. “Everyone, hold! Those of you up on that beast, we would have words with you.”

Ahead of Sokka, Katara heard Zuko practically growl, “Oh, _now_ they want to talk. They should have thought of that before they attacked us.”

Sokka raised his voice, shouting back down to the ships. “How do we know you won’t attack us again?”

The same voice called back. “By my honor as a warrior, and with Tui and La as witnesses, I just wish to talk with you. We will not attack unless you prove yourselves enemies of my tribe.”

Sokka nudged Zuko, giving him a nod. Zuko himself definitely did not seem happy, but he directed Druk lower all the same. _We’re safe for now_ , Katara thought to herself with relief as she lowered her arms. _You don’t break an oath like that lightly_. Even so, Katara couldn’t shake the question of why they had been attacked at all. There had been no warning and no apparent provocation. 

As they got lower, the indistinct, blue-clad figures morphed into distinguishable men staring warily at the four on Druk’s back. Only about half of them seemed to carry weapons, and Katara realized that the rest were likely waterbenders. _There are so many of them. I’ll definitely be able to find someone to teach me here!_

Her attention was drawn by one man who stepped forward, looking over their group with wary eyes. His hair reminded Katara painfully of her dad’s, although this man’s was starting to streak with gray. Although we haven’t seen Dad in years. Maybe he’s starting to get gray hairs too by now. 

The man cleared his throat, eventually seeming to address Sokka as the leader of the group. “I’m Ranalaq. I’m the head of this scout group. Why are you trespassing?”

Sokka frowned. “Trespassing? We’re trying to find the Northern Water Tribe.”

Ranalaq crossed his arms. “And whose territory were you under the impression you were trespassing in? Outsiders aren’t welcome here. Leave.”

Sokka huffed, gesturing to himself and Katara. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re Water Tribe. Not outsiders. We came here to negotiate with your chief.”

One of the other warriors present scoffed. “Your chief sent children to negotiate on his behalf? Pathetic.”

Katara felt her anger flare at the insult to her father. Sokka whirled around to the man who’d spoken. “Katara and I have _both_ been ice-dodging. We’re not children. And in case you hadn’t heard, there’s kind of a war going on right now. Our chief sent us to negotiate because he’s just a little _busy_ with that.”

Ranalaq’s eyebrow twitched upwards. “Who is your chief? And who are you, to have the authority to speak on his behalf?”

Sokka drew himself up, and Katara hid a smile at what a proud warrior her brother looked like. “Our chief is Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. And I am his son, Sokka, along with my sister, Katara.” Out of the corner of her eye, Katara caught the flashes of surprise on both Zuko’s and Azula’s faces. _Oh no. I didn’t realize we never told them Dad was chief._

If Ranalaq noticed their reactions, he made no comment. Instead he simply nodded. “Alright. You’ll be granted a chance to speak with Chief Arnook. Make sure you don’t cause any trouble while you’re in our tribe. And that goes for your beast as well. Keep that thing under control.” He turned, gesturing to the other men on the ships and giving out orders. Soon, the waterbenders took up stances, sweeping their arms in concerted motions that propelled the three boats easily through the water, Druk flying along easily behind them.


End file.
